Toward a people-centred vision for agriculture and the environment

This vision reflects not only strategic foresight but also a clear direction for a sector vital to the nation’s long-term prosperity.

Immediately after being elected General Secretary by the 13th Party Central Committee, To Lam repeatedly underscored the principle that economic growth must go hand in hand with environmental protection, with people at the centre, agriculture as the foundation, rural areas as development space, and farmers as the primary agents of transformation.

This consistency in messaging underscores a broader strategic orientation: development must be harmonious with nature, and all economic achievements become fragile if ecosystems are degraded. He has emphasised that agriculture, identified in Resolution 19-NQ/TW as a national advantage and the backbone of the economy, must be fully recognised for its indispensable role in socio-economic development and improving people’s livelihoods.

General Secretary To Lam views the present moment as a pivotal stage, one in which Vietnam must realise its two centennial goals. Sustaining double-digit growth ambitions requires precision, unity of effort, and innovative thinking. To that end, the Politburo is reviewing the implementation of Resolution 19-NQ/TW to chart the next phase of agricultural and rural development in line with the country’s new aspirations.

Alongside economic targets, he emphasises the uncompromising obligation to protect natural resources and ecosystems, particularly in provinces endowed with both forests and seas. Sustainable development, balanced across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, is positioned as the only viable path to safeguarding national food security while contributing to global sustainable development goals.

This approach reflects the Party’s consistent vision: Vietnam must transition toward a green economy, a circular economy, ecological agriculture, and a sustainably developed society.

Eighty years of nation-building

Throughout eight decades, the agriculture and environment sector has played an essential role in Vietnam’s national development, from combating famine in wartime to agricultural renovation during international integration. Each step forward, from rice fields and water systems to forests and oceans, bears the imprint of generations dedicated to safeguarding resources while supporting growth.

As economic expansion increases pressure on land, water, forests, and marine environments, the sector has evolved to integrate resource conservation with growth objectives. The unified structure combining agriculture and environment management is not merely administrative, it represents a strategic vision aligned with ecological balance, biodiversity protection, emissions reduction, and climate resilience.

The Ministry has also been a frontrunner in implementing international commitments on sustainable development and environmental protection, positioning Vietnam as a responsible global partner.

Looking back, the sector’s history mirrors the nation’s path: from ensuring food security, reducing poverty, and building new rural areas to advancing ecological agriculture and fostering a cultured, modern farming community.

President Luong Cuong, speaking at the 2025 “Proud Vietnamese Farmers” programme, reaffirmed the historic and ongoing contribution of farmers as the force that has shaped land, protected the country, and maintained national unity. He stressed that in a volatile global context, the agriculture–farmer–rural nexus remains central to national development, environmental stewardship, climate adaptation, cultural preservation, and political stability.

Entering a new era, the agriculture and environment sector has adopted the guiding principles of “Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Breakthrough - Development,” aligning itself with three major transformations: green transition, digital transformation, and ecological agricultural transition. These shifts are essential for boosting productivity, competitiveness, and environmental resilience.

Since the early 2000s, numerous sectoral strategies and master plans, covering sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, marine spatial planning, forestry, irrigation, and more, have been issued to operationalise the Party’s long-term orientation toward 2030 and vision to 2045–2050. These documents place ecological agriculture and a healthy environment at the core of sustainable development.

The period from 2025 to 2045 is expected to be a turning point, elevating Vietnam’s standing as a sustainably developed nation. When agriculture and the environment are treated as equal pillars of development, achievements will endure without compromising future generations.

This vision aspires to a Vietnam where ecological agriculture and a clean environment are not slogans but a lived reality, where people coexist harmoniously with nature, economic activity is rooted in renewable resources, and production and consumption maintain ecological balance.

General Secretary To Lam also emphasises that urban and rural development are interdependent, strategic missions. Modern urban areas act as engines of growth, while prosperous, culturally rich rural areas provide stability and long-term resilience. Their relationship must be planned systematically to maintain harmony and balance.

Under his witness, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Vietnam and Finland marked a new chapter in cooperation on environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation, key areas in both nations' sustainable development strategies.

Sustainable development for people and the future

In a policy address at the University of Oxford, General Secretary To Lam reiterated Vietnam’s development philosophy:

“We place people at the centre of all development strategies. Our goal is not growth figures, but improving people’s quality of life, income, housing, healthcare, education, social security, and a safe, clean living environment. We seek growth without sacrificing the environment, industrialisation without losing cultural identity, and urbanisation that leaves no one behind.”

This philosophy lays the foundation for Vietnam’s two centennial goals:

By 2030, marking 100 years of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country aims to become a developing nation with modern industry and upper-middle-income status.

By 2045, marking 100 years since the founding of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vietnam strives to become a developed, high-income nation with a dignified standing in the global community.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh echoed this spirit when he described the central question facing policymakers: how to develop agriculture, uplift rural livelihoods, and build new rural areas while protecting the environment and safeguarding natural resources.

This principle guides every policy and programme undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment - where every grain of rice, every forest canopy, every drop of water, and every breath of fresh air is entrusted to those committed to serving the nation and its people.

Over eight decades, the Ministry has not only fulfilled its role as a State management institution but has also become the heart of Vietnam’s green economy, embodying the effort, intellect, and dedication of millions of farmers, engineers, scientists, and public servants.

As Vietnam enters a new era, the Ministry will continue to lead the drive toward sustainable development, safeguarding harmony between people and nature and contributing to a prosperous future rooted in ecological balance.

Speaking at the sector’s 2025 planning conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged the entire system to accelerate and break through, with the clear objective that farmers must enjoy greater prosperity and happiness, rural areas must modernise, and agriculture must advance with higher productivity, quality, and competitiveness.

He reaffirmed the core orientation: farmers as the centre, subject, resource, and driving force; agriculture as the catalyst; and rural areas as the foundation. He expressed confidence that the sector will continue its strong transformation, moving toward a modern, green, ecological, circular, transparent, and responsible agriculture, one that propels Vietnam confidently into a new era of national progress.