Vietnam joins UN call to transform global food systems as UN Food Systems Summit kicks off
Transforming the food systems can help Vietnam attain many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (photo credit: CGIAR/Chris deBode).
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to transforming food systems in a transparent, responsible, and sustainable manner in the ‘new normal’ context brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the Pre-Summit that took place in August 2021, prevenient national and sub-national dialogues on food systems at all levels in Vietnam that took place in June and July 2021 and responding to the call of the United Nations Secretary General, on 23 September 2021 President Phuc joined other world leaders at the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) 2021 where the global transformation of food systems is being discussed towards achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
H.E. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the United Nations Food Systems Summit (photo credit: ILRI).
Speaking at the summit, President Phuc emphasized six priorities of the government towards sustainable food systems, including:
- Transforming agricultural growth into integrated multi-values including economic, society, culture, landscape and environment values. Ensuring the development of green and low-emissions agriculture, climate change adaptation and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on rural economic development for food security. Reducing food loss and waste, rationally using natural resources and preserving biodiversity.
- Investing in synchronous development of agricultural infrastructure, both serving production and developing rural economy, promoting the dominant role of farmers, encouraging the participation of the private sector in investment in a responsible and creative manner, applying science and technology, and replicating the effective public-private partnership model.
- Building and updating the national nutrition balance sheet to orient production and distribution. Strengthening education and communication to create a healthy food environment, reasonable eating habits, balanced nutrition, green and responsible consumption trends, and avoiding loss and waste.
- Digital transformation hand in hand with policy and institutional reforms in which farmers and consumers are put at the centre.
- Establishing innovation and creativity networks and joining the United Nations’ cooperation frameworks with the aim of developing a Food Innovation Centre in the region.
- Expanding international cooperation in research, forecasting and building information systems to warn of natural disasters risks, epidemics and sustainable management of resources of land, water, biodiversity and forests; management of transboundary water resources and marine resources.
Ahead of the UNFSS, Vietnam organized a series of events in June and July 2021 to identify solutions to some of the most pressing issues confronting Vietnam’s food systems.
In this series of dialogues, CGIAR, together with its centres and programs, supported Vietnam in tackling its goal of transparent, responsible, and sustainable food systems. Many of its recommendations were adopted by the policymakers.
After the Summit, Vietnam will continue to develop a detailed roadmap for the transformation of the food systems to implement and review the suitability of the food systems using a multi-sectoral, multi-level approach. This implementation process requires the cooperation, support and companionship of different sectors including state agencies, private sector, international organizations, academia and people, ensuring the achievement of nutritional-health, socio-economic outputs and minimizing negative impacts on the environment, contributing to the successful implementation of the Development Goals until 2030.
CGIAR is committed to continuing to engage and support the Government of Vietnam in this process.
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