Agriculture and Environment: 80 years of national companionship

From a poor country emerging from war, after nearly 40 years of national renewal and development initiated by the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Vietnam has written a new epic in its journey to build an independent, prosperous, and happy nation.

The economy has made breakthroughs, achieving impressive growth and integrating into the global economy;

Culture has preserved national identity while honoring heritage within modern life;Society has advanced remarkably, with people’s living standards continuously improved;Vietnam’s position on the international stage has been elevated and widely recognized worldwide.

Contributing significantly to these achievements is one sector that works quietly yet persistently, tied to every farmer and every household: the Agriculture and Environment sector.

Under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the entire Party and people joined hands in labor and production to fight hunger and illiteracy. Nationwide movements were launched, such as the “Every Inch of Land, Every Inch of Gold” campaign encouraging all citizens, workers, and soldiers to engage in production. The “Solidarity Day” and “Rice Jar to Save the Hungry” movements mobilized people to conserve food, cut meals, and reduce rations to help the poor. As a result, within just one year, under the Party’s leadership and the land-to-the-tiller policy, the two rice harvests of 1946 in the North doubled in output. The country overcame famine, and the young agricultural sector contributed to this miracle for the nation.

Interview: Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Mr. Phung Duc Tien

“Thanks to the Party’s policies and the State’s direction, Vietnam has moved from a food-deficient country to ensuring food security for 100 million people. After 40 years of renovation and agricultural restructuring, we have strongly advanced in exports, making important contributions to global food security. Regarding mineral resources, we have surveyed, assessed reserves, and managed effective use.The environment, one of the three crucial pillars, has always been prioritized to ensure sustainable development alongside the nation’s growth. After independence, the Ministry of Agriculture advised the Government and the Party Central Committee with many mechanisms and policies. That is why, by 1946, food production had already doubled.”

In December 1946, the resistance war against France broke out, and the entire nation embarked on a new long struggle, both fighting and producing. From the rice fields of the North, hundreds of thousands of tons of food were supplied to campaigns, contributing to the resounding victory at Dien Bien Phu, which shook the world. Along with the establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture, in 1945 President Ho Chi Minh signed decisions to establish the Departments of Meteorology, Minerals and Handicrafts, Registration and Public Assets, Survey and Mapping, precursors of today’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). In the spirit of labor and production, the first generations of geology and meteorology-hydrology officers believed in and dreamed of exploring natural resources.

They set up scientific research stations, applied climate zoning maps, and contributed to national reconstruction. They traversed vast forests, crossed high mountains and deep valleys, traced ore veins, measured sunlight and rainfall, and marked the first coordinates on Vietnam’s climate and geological zoning maps.

Interview: Prof. Tran Thuc – Chairman, Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Association

“In the early days, meteorology and hydrology were extremely difficult. The challenges were manifold.

First, in terms of the network. There were almost none, only a few stations from the French colonial period. Then, human resources.  

There were very few scientific staff, practically none.

Only later, when we received training from the Soviet Union and socialist countries, did we begin to develop.”