(Illustrative photo: agro.gov.vn)

Vietnam has a fast urbanization rate, but agriculture remains a pillar of national growth, and provides a livelihood for tens of millions of people in rural areas.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said that although Vietnam’s agriculture has grown rapidly recently, there are problems such as unsustainable growth, intensive use of natural resources, and dependence on imported materials.

“The agricultural sector continues to restructure toward sustainable development based on science, technology, and innovation. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has identified key measures focused on innovation, technological application, and digitalization to improve the quality of human resources,” said Mr. Doanh.

Vietnam is a key site of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which promotes agro-scientific research globally to reduce poverty in rural areas, improve food security, nutrition, and healthcare, and manage natural resources. Many organizations and centers under CGIAR have set up offices or implemented projects in Vietnam.

Over the last 5 years, CGIAR has been involved with more than 100 agro-science projects in Vietnam totaling 24 million USD. The projects have been implemented in 40 provinces and cities in the areas of cultivation, husbandry, fishery, and climate change, and have directly benefited 2 million farmers while indirectly benefiting about 24.5 million people.

CGIAR studies have obtained results in agricultural production, sustainable husbandry, climate change adaptation, and food restructuring for human and animal health improvement.

The ASEAN Agricultural Innovation Network will coordinate with Vietnam to set up joint research programs for the next 3 to 5 years. They will focus on modern science and network support to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable development of green and ecological agriculture.