Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phùng Đức Tiến (left) and Alliance General Director Juan Lucas at the meeting. Photo Bá Thắng

HÀ NỘI — The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) sat down with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Hà Nội, Việt Nam to discuss how the Alliance and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) aligns its research agenda with Việt Nam’s priorities in agriculture and food systems transformation.

Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General of the Alliance and Global Director for Partnerships and Advocacy of the CGIAR, and Stephan Weise, Managing Director for Asia of the Alliance, met with Vice Minister Phùng Đức Tiến to present how the Alliance has made an impact in the country in the last five years and opens opportunities for future convergence moving forward. These include delivering results in the food environment and consumer behaviour, tropical forages, cassava, digital agriculture, agroecosystems and sustainable landscapes, climate action, and biodiversity for food and agriculture.

Cross-cutting contributions to transformation

Through various engagements, the Alliance has contributed to supporting national agriculture and rural development by identifying solutions to bridging gaps in food systems issues to contribute to socio-economic development across rural to urban Việt Nam. This work touches upon national action plans for Zero Hunger and Food Systems Transformation.

Logo of The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. Photo courtesy of The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Stephan Weise said: “Our longstanding collaborative work continues to deliver integrated solutions at various scales in the country. The partnership with MARD allows us to reach stakeholders and changemakers and build capacity to strengthen the agri-food sector in the country.”

From seed systems, diets and nutrition, and crop breeding to livestock and forages, while tackling climate challenges, the Alliance in Việt Nam keeps up with emerging innovations to support communities and livelihoods and influence local and national research and development and policy.

At the meeting. Photo Tùng Đình

Juan Lucas Restrepo said: “We are proud of our collaboration with MARD and other partners in Việt Nam. Through our partnership, we've identified suitable pathways to accelerate food systems transformation in the country based on the geographical, social, political and economic context of a country.”

The severity and extent to which climate change, biodiversity loss and hunger affect different geographical areas vary enormously. Solutions to these challenges depend on the local context; as such, they need to be tailored to it and co-created with national research systems, universities, and, most importantly, with the end-users: farmers.

Juan Lucas, Director General of the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. Tùng Đình

“This is very clear in our mind, and it’s why we’ve been working with regional and national stakeholders, including with National Agricultural Research and Innovation Systems, across regions to identify food systems transformation pathways consider these specificities,” said Juan Lucas Restrepo.

Multi-stakeholder initiatives

Banking on longstanding work in Việt Nam, the Alliance and MARD work together to improve agrifood systems in the country while working with other government agencies, academia, and non-profit organisations.

In continuing the contributions in the country, the Alliance is supporting MARD in implementing the National Action Plan for Food Systems Transformation, linking it to the overall work on the ASEAN-CGIAR regional programme, while implementing the CGIAR Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) to improve diets of vulnerable populations in Việt Nam.

Similarly, the Alliance is also working on other CGIAR Initiatives in Việt Nam, particularly on Sustainable Animal Productivity (SAPLING), Nature-Positive Solutions, Plant Health, Asian-Mega Deltas that aim to build livelihoods and environmental resilience in the country.

Through public-private partnerships, the Alliance can also build a portfolio supporting key agricultural commodities, from cassava to coffee, tea, and black pepper in Việt Nam. This work involves genetic innovation, agroecology, and digital agriculture tools to safeguard agricultural and economic development in the country.

Juan Lucas Restrepo said: “We are happy to have this opportunity to present the work that we have done in the last five years to contribute to food systems transformation in Việt Nam and define pathways for the future with MARD. MARD remains one of our key partners in ensuring that we are doing relevant and timely research to address issues in agriculture and food systems.”

Finally, Stephan Weise acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) in ensuring the efficient delivery of the Alliance’s work in Việt Nam. VNS

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address global malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.https://alliancebioversityciat.org www.cgiar.orgMedia contact: Ysabel Anne Lee (y.a.lee@cgiar.org), Communications Officer in Asia