Viet Nam announces draft National Soil Health Strategy to 2030

Goal of healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy people

On September 29, the Soils and Fertilizers Institute (Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences - VAAS) held a workshop to summarize the project "Supporting the Development of National Soil Health Strategy and Action Plan" and published the draft National Soil Health Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, along with the Soil Health Management Action Plan. The research documents from the project are considered key results, laying the foundation for a comprehensive national strategy.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Director of the Plant Production and Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), affirmed that soil health in Vietnam is deteriorating seriously. Unreasonable farming methods, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the impacts of industry, urbanization, and climate change have created major challenges for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector.

"With the important outcomes of this project, today's workshop will open up a new phase, which is the phase of action," Director Huynh Tan Dat emphasized, calling for synchronous coordination to realize the goal of healthy soil, healthy plants, and healthy people.

Representing the sponsor, Mr. Nguyen Song Ha, Assistant Chief Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Vietnam, appreciated the development of Vietnam’s agricultural sector in recent times.

"Soil health has never received as much attention as it does today, as intensive farming practices and the excessive use of chemicals to increase yields have become hot issues," Mr. Nguyen Song Ha stated. Therefore, policies on soil health are seen as an important step forward, contributing to a more comprehensive approach to soil quality management.

From the research perspective, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Tien, Deputy Director of VAAS, noted that an international review shows that very few countries have developed a soil health strategy. He affirmed that the overall objective of the project is to promote the sustainable use of soil resources in Vietnam, contributing to food security, food safety, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem protection, while strengthening resilience to climate change through the enhancement of the national soil health management system.

Organic, low-emission farming area to reach at least 2%

Presenting the draft National Soil Health Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, and the Soil Health Management Action Plan, Mr. Do Huy Thiep, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Economics and Institute (AEI), emphasized that protecting and restoring soil health is the foundation of a sustainable ecosystem. This effort supports responsible, efficient, and sustainable agricultural development in economic, social, and environmental dimensions, following ecological, organic, circular, low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and climate-resilient approaches.

According to the draft, several specific targets have been set, including protecting and improving soil quality; reducing the proportion of degraded agricultural land to below 10%; ensuring organic matter content in soil reaches at least 3–5% in key agricultural production areas; and rehabilitating land polluted by chemicals or heavy metals.

The draft also aims to expand organic and low-emission farming systems, reaching at least 2% of total agricultural land. In addition, it proposes the development of a digital database on soil quality and soil health nationwide, ensuring compatibility with international databases; the completion of the pilot phase; and the deployment of real-time smart monitoring systems for soil health through remote sensing, AI-based analytics tools, and regular testing of agricultural product quality.

Furthermore, managers and farmers will be more aware of soil health, and human resources engaged in soil protection and restoration activities will be stabilized in quantity and continuously improved in quality.

Need for a solid legal framework and broad communication

At the event, experts emphasized the necessity of developing a National Soil Health Strategy for farmers still lacking information on soil restoration and enrichment.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Dung, Head of the Faculty of Soil Science at the College of Agriculture, Can Tho University, stated that each locality has unique soil characteristics suited to specific crops. He expressed his hope that the draft Action Plan will serve as a foundation to mobilize the participation of soil scientists nationwide.

The draft has been developed with the FAO's support; however, its implementation requires approval from the government to establish a solid legal framework. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is expected to continue to push forward efforts to put the draft into practice.

From a policy perspective, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Bo, former Director of VAAS, emphasized that soil health management is a long-term task. Over the past six years, five decrees related to rice land have been issued. However, no decree has yet been dedicated to mountainous soils, even though these areas are key to agricultural production and highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Delegates also discussed a range of other issues, such as training a team of soil health technicians, the need for a unified governing body to oversee soil health management, and the development of management criteria tailored to each region's characteristics. In particular, communication on soil health needs to be strengthened so that scientific information can reach farmers—the people who directly depend on the land.

The project "Supporting the Development of National Soil Health Strategy and Action Plan," funded by FAO, is being implemented during the 2024–2025 period. The managing agency is the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, with the Soils and Fertilizers Institute as the project owner, in collaboration with the Academy for Green Growth and the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Institutions.