Vietnam’s 'Green Revolution' - from policy to practice

Vietnam’s 'Green Revolution' - from policy to practice

Amid climate pressures and rising food demand, Vietnam faces an urgent need to digitalise and 'green' its supply chains, as highlighted by Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Dinh Tho, vice president of the Institute of Strategy, Policy on Agriculture and Environment at a P4G Summit sideline session on April 17.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Dinh Tho, vice president, Institute of Strategy, Policy on Agriculture and Environment

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or 'Green Revolution', is equipping us with powerful tools, from AI, the Internet of Things, and big data to biotechnology and blockchain, helping us optimise production processes, reduce emissions, increase productivity, and protect the environment.

National policies are gradually being improved to encourage the application of technology and innovation in agriculture. Vietnam has issued the Green Growth Strategy, the Digital Transformation Strategy for Agriculture, and initiatives to promote circular agriculture and low-carbon agriculture.

The government is supporting agricultural startups, research and development, and the transformation of production models towards smart agriculture aligned with environmental standards and international markets.

State management agencies and international organisations play a crucial role in the green and digital transformation of the sustainable agricultural ecosystem. We need multilateral cooperation, knowledge sharing, financial resources, and the latest technology to overcome barriers related to cost, capacity, and market access.

Groups such as The Food and Agriculture Organisation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Development Programme, Asian Development Bank, and Green Climate Fund have been working with Vietnam to transfer technology, increase farming yields, and boost public-private partnership models in sustainable agriculture.

From practical experiences in local areas and around the world, we have seen many successful green agriculture models: the rice-solar energy integration model in An Giang; organic farming combined with AI in Japan; weather-data-based smart farming systems in Israel; and digital technology startups led by young Vietnamese people. The successes in green and digital transformation show that when farmers are empowered with tools, knowledge, and confidence, they become pioneers in their own agricultural revolution.

The Green Revolution is not just about technology. It is a revolution in mindset, in institutions, and in the partnership between the state, businesses, and the people. It is a collaboration among the government, academic institutions, research institutes, enterprises, and financial investment funds. To ensure sustainable food security, we must act faster, more decisively, and together.

Facing global changes in the investment and trade environment such as the US tariff policies and the EU's stringent environmental regulations including the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and measures against 'Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated' fisheries,

Vietnam needs to implement solutions that will improve its green institutional framework, invest in green infrastructure, and carry out commitments under the Paris Agreement on green finance, green technology, and capacity building for sustainable production and consumption chains.

Priority should be given to green finance, climate finance, and carbon finance by linking the voluntary carbon credit market with the compliance carbon market, and connecting Vietnam's domestic voluntary carbon market with the international carbon market by way of transactions via the Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes, under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

I firmly believe that through this P4G forum, we will share valuable initiatives, forge action alliances, and open new chapters in the green and digital transformation of Vietnam’s agriculture towards a sustainable, innovative, modern, and globally integrated agriculture sector.

VIR