From policy to the field: Food system transformation starts at the local level

Since the United Nations Food Systems Summit, Vietnam has been one of the few Asian nations to issue a National Action Plan (FST-NAP), identifying five core areas for transformation. However, as experts note, the true measure of success lies in what happens at the local level.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Tran Minh Tien, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), the biggest current challenge is enabling local authorities to make autonomous decisions based on reliable data. “We have talked a lot about food system transformation, but without data, planning at the provincial level remains mere guesswork,” he said at the Viet Nam-Ireland Bilateral Cooperation Conference on Agri-Food System Transformation on the morning of November 4.

VAAS is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and international partners to build an online information platform that connects data on crops, land, emissions, and nutrition. Dr. Tien believes this database will be a tool that helps provincial authorities accurately assess the potential of each region while monitoring transformation progress through specific indicators.

“Transformation cannot be based on intuition. If a locality can measure productivity, nutritional value, and emissions, they will know exactly where to prioritize investment,” he analyzed.

Associate Professor Dr. Dao The Anh, President of the Viet Nam Rural Development Science Association and former Deputy Director of VAAS, echoed this view, stressing that food system transformation cannot be viewed solely through the lens of the agricultural sector. “We must adopt a holistic approach, combining nutrition, health, environment, and livelihoods,” he stated.

He cited the model coordinating agriculture and tourism in Son La, where agricultural production is linked to on-site consumption, helping to reduce food loss and foster sustainable livelihoods. In Dong Thap, farmer groups are encouraged to participate in controlled supply chains, linking production, processing, and consumption within the same locality.

“What Viet Nam needs is a system where sectors do not operate in isolation. Agriculture remains the pillar, but it must be an agriculture based on knowledge and new risk management,” he expressed.

On this basis, local authorities should treat farmer groups, cooperatives, research institutes, and businesses as equal links in the chain, rather than maintaining a 'request-and-grant' relationship. “Only when information and benefits are shared can the food system move forward synchronously,” he added.

A report presented at the conference by Dr. Tran Van The, Senior Technical Expert for FST-P, reinforced this point. The three provinces of Son La, Dong Thap, and Nghe An are in the initial phase of implementing provincial-level action plans, which concretize the national strategy.

Specifically, Son La is focusing on ecological agriculture and indigenous products, linking food system transformation with community tourism development. Dong Thap emphasizes connecting the rice-lotus-fish value chain, reducing post-harvest losses, and increasing the processing ratio. Meanwhile, Nghe An is oriented toward developing nutritional agriculture, prioritizing food diversity and improving school meals.

These three provinces serve as pilot models to gain experience for nationwide expansion during the 2026–2030 period.

The need for green finance and private sector engagement

To ensure that transformation at the local level does not “break down” after a project ends, green financial resources and private sector participation are essential. This is a concern for Associate Professor Dr. Dao The Anh. He recommended that localities must have clear, transparent plans to mobilize capital, arguing that no one will fund a vague plan. Clear data, targets, and monitoring commitments are necessary.

Furthermore, the human factor determines the pace of change. Many localities have begun mobilizing youth, cooperatives, and clean agriculture startups to participate in this process.

Dr. Joseph O’Flaherty, an expert from Sustainable Food Systems Ireland, a nation with an advanced agricultural production system, shared that Vietnam and Ireland face common challenges regarding food safety and greenhouse gas emissions, two "inseparable" factors in value chain governance. “If you want to reduce emissions, you must effectively control food safety, as that is where sustainability begins,” he said.

He noted that Viet Nam is moving in the right direction by allowing provinces to proactively identify priority issues instead of applying a uniform model. This approach gives localities more flexibility and creates conditions for international partners to provide technical support tailored to each specific ecological region.

From the central policy framework to concrete action at the provincial level, Vietnam's journey to transform its food system is gradually forming a new structure where data, knowledge, and the community operate in concert.

“Transformation is only meaningful when farmers, businesses, and scientists act together,” Dr. Tran Minh Tien assessed. Dr. Dao The Anh added that the important factor is not the speed, but the spread, so that citizens feel they are part of the change process.