Regional conference discusses food security

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs jointly held a regional conference on food security in Hanoi on March 22.

Vietnam has gone on to ensure its domestic food supply and even become a major food provider to the world, thanks to the government’s policies to develop agriculture. (Credit: thanhnien.com.vn)

Addressing the opening of the two-day event, MARD Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh urged participants to seek cooperation initiatives and measures to promote smart agricultural practices in Vietnam.

He noted that Vietnam is an agriculture-based country with nearly 70 percent of the population living in rural areas. Previously as a poverty stricken country suffering food shortages, Vietnam has gone on to ensure its domestic food supply and even become a major food provider to the world, thanks to the government’s policies to develop agriculture.

Along with rice - seafood, coffee, cashews, vegetables and fruits have also become considerable hard currency earners for Vietnam. However, the country is among the five most vulnerable countries to climate change which has ravaged many localities across Vietnam, he said.

He stated that the agricultural sector has reformed to increase farmer’s productivity, quality, respond to climate change and minimise climate change impacts by choosing cultivation methods as well as plant and livestock and aquaculture varieties to suit the climate situation in each locality.

At the same time, the sector has enhanced research and application capacity to deal with newly emerging challenges due to climate change, including sea level rise, Doanh noted.

He stressed the need for a smart agriculture sector as well as the setting up of institutions to support farmers, especially in information, service and capital access.

He also highlighted the significance of close coordination among countries in ensuring food security for mankind amidst climate change.

The same day, delegates joined a technical conference on food safety, innovative fishery farming and smart agriculture adaption to climate change, as well as food wastefulness and loss.

(Source: NDO)