The Francophone Parliamentary Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response in Can Tho City (photo: VOV)

Hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly, the Francophone Parliamentary Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response highlights Vietnam's commitment to promoting multilateralism within the Francophone community to address global challenges, strengthen economic cooperation, and foster innovation while prioritizing environmental protection.

Remarkable achievements

The Vietnamese Party and State identify agriculture as a national advantage and a pillar of the economy. In 2024, Vietnam’s total import-export turnover reached a record high of 786 billion USD, of which more than 62 billion USD came from the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the year-end meeting of the agriculture sector, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said: “The role of agriculture has been strengthened. The Party and State acknowledges and appreciates the agricultural sector’s contributions to the nation’s overall achievements.”

In 2024, Vietnam started the project on sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030. This, the very first national project to produce a million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice, has drawn the special attention of international partners. The Government and ministries have coordinated with 12 localities in the Mekong Delta region to implement the project, achieving some remarkable results.

Truong Canh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hau Giang province, one of the project implementers, said: “The project not only directly benefits rice farmers but also contributes to minimizing the negative impacts of climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing the value of sustainable supply chains. We plan to expand the project area to 128,000 hectares by 2025, concentrating on the areas where the Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project (VnSAT) has been implemented.”

Vietnam is one of 10 countries committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and is pursuing a green growth strategy with clear government policies. According to a recent survey by Gallup, a leading US analysis and consulting company, Vietnam ranks second in the world in disaster preparedness. 83% of Vietnamese households are ready to respond to natural disasters, much higher than the world average of 35%. The readiness comes from the fact that Vietnam is located in a natural disaster-prone area and has a high level of resilience and investment in disaster risk management. Vietnam can serve as a model for countries at risk of climate change, said Gallup.

Vietnam affirms commitments on sustainable development

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man told the forum that Vietnam wants to enhance Francophonie cooperation in science, technology, innovation, digital economy, startup, public-private partnership, and French language promotion.

The Vietnamese top legislator underlined the determination of Francophonie countries to balance growth, reduce poverty, and protect the environment.

“The Vietnamese National Assembly hosts the Forum to promote cooperation among Francophonie countries in building sustainable agriculture, ensuring a livelihood for every household and food security for every country, and responding to climate change globally. Parliaments and parliamentarians play an important role in promoting and monitoring the implementation of these goals,” said Mr. Man.

The Francophone Parliamentary Cooperation Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change response demonstrated Vietnam's active contributions to addressing global issues concerning sustainable development.