Eighty years of cultivating life, safeguarding the future

Since the nation’s founding, when the Vietnamese people emerged from a long night of slavery, agriculture has been the bedrock of the economy, the lifeblood sustaining the entire nation. At the same time, the environment, land, water, forests, and seas served as the living space and shared home that protected the Vietnamese people throughout their journey of resistance and nation-building.

For the past 80 years, the agriculture and environment sectors have accompanied the nation every step of the way. From rice paddies yielding five tons of rice to feed the front lines to aquaculture zones exporting seafood worldwide; from the Truong Son forests shielding soldiers to modern climate change response policies, these efforts form a grand narrative of the nation’s vitality and resilience.

Today, the merger of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources and Environment into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment marks a new milestone. This represents an advancement in national governance: a close link between production and conservation, economic development and environmental protection, today’s sustenance and tomorrow’s well-being.

Eighty years of agricultural partnership with the nation

During the periods of resistance and national reconstruction (1945-1986), agriculture served as a crucial logistical base, securing food supplies for the front lines. In 1945, a famine claimed the lives of over 2 million people, sparking a movement to "annihilate the famine enemy," with citizens sharing food. Following land reform, 2 million farming households were granted land. During the war, farmers provided millions of tons of food, contributing to the victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and the Great Spring Offensive in 1975.

During the Doi Moi and integration periods (1986-2020), Vietnam transformed from a food-deficient nation into a leading rice exporter. In 1988, Vietnam imported over 450,000 tons of rice, but just two years later, it was exporting more than 1 million tons. Vietnam has consistently been among the top three global rice exporters, with some years exceeding 7 million tons. The country also ranks second in coffee (1.8 million tons annually) and among the top five in seafood, with exports reaching nearly $9 billion in 2019. Vietnam is also a leader in cashew and pepper exports. By 2020, Vietnamese agricultural products were present in 180 markets, with export turnover reaching $41.3 billion.

Since 2020, amid climate change and the 4.0 Industrial Revolution, Vietnamese agriculture has shifted profoundly. Currently, there are 30 high-tech agricultural zones and hundreds of cooperatives and businesses implementing IoT, AI, and blockchain. By 2023, the country had over 8,600 OCOP products, many of which are now exported to Europe, the United States, and Japan. Vietnam is promoting circular, low-carbon agriculture, aiming for green and sustainable growth.

Eighty years of protecting the environment and natural resources

Even during the resistance, the Party and State considered forests "a fighting friend." After 1975, the management of land, water, and minerals was intensified; the 1980 Constitution affirmed that land belonged to the entire population, laying the legal groundwork for subsequent legislation.

Since the late 20th century, the legal framework for the environment and resources has been progressively refined. The Environmental Protection Law (1993, with amendments in 2005, 2014, and 2020), the Land Law (1993), and other laws on water resources, minerals, biodiversity, and forestry have created a legal corridor for the rational exploitation and conservation of resources.

At COP26 in 2021, Vietnam committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050. By 2023, the country had developed nearly 20,000 MW of wind and solar power (27% of total power capacity) and planted over 300 million trees as part of the “One Billion Trees” program. Major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang are moving toward green, low-emission urban models. Vietnam is asserting its role as a responsible nation, working with the world to combat climate change and protect the planet.

New opportunities from the merger

The merger of the two ministries is not just about streamlining administration; more importantly, it creates an integrated management mindset. Land, water, forests, and seas—the core resources of agriculture, are now managed uniformly, enabling synchronized development planning, preventing resource waste, and overcoming overlapping policies.

When agriculture is integrated with the environment, the growth model fundamentally shifts: from one based on exploitation to one based on regeneration. Exports will increase and become "greener" and cleaner, meeting the increasingly strict standards of the global market. Farmers will be both producers and environmental stewards, creating wealth while preserving nature.

Many major opportunities will emerge: developing ecological and circular agricultural models, low-carbon agriculture, building the national brand "Vietnam - The Green Agricultural Powerhouse", and increasing international negotiating power. When Vietnam is both a leading agricultural supplier and a responsible partner in environmental protection, its voice in global forums will be more influential than ever.

Contribution to an era of thriving

Over the past 80 years, the agriculture and environment sectors have made significant contributions to ensuring food security, protecting ecosystems, and building international prestige. A happy nation is not just where people are well-fed and clothed, but also a place with a clean environment. A powerful nation is not just one with a high GDP, but one that ensures future generations can live in a beautiful natural world.

The message of the sector today is this: From a full bowl of rice to clean air, from rice fields to forests, from rural areas to cities, the agriculture and environment sectors have been, are, and will forever accompany the nation's aspiration for ascent.

The 80th anniversary of the nation's founding is also an occasion to reflect on the 80-year journey of the agriculture and environment sectors. It is a journey from scarcity to abundance, from exploitation to sustainability, from a traditional agricultural nation to a modern, green one.

With the merger into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, we are entering a new phase, one where development and conservation are no longer separate, where economic interests are closely tied to environmental benefits, and where people and nature live in harmony.

This is the greatest contribution of the agriculture and environment sectors to Vietnam's era of ascent, an era of strength, prosperity, and sustainability.