Vietnam and Senegal sign strategic agreement to promote green agriculture

Developing agricultural innovation projects and strengthening food security

As part of the official visit to the Republic of Senegal, on the afternoon of July 23 in Dakar, under the witness of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Senegal’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Livestock on cooperation in the field of agriculture.

The MoU outlines specific areas of cooperation, including: promoting rice, vegetable, and fruit production; developing self-sufficiency models; supplying machinery, crop seeds, and agricultural inputs; expanding irrigation systems; processing agricultural products; improving livestock and poultry genetics; preventing and monitoring animal diseases; promoting dairy, meat, and poultry products; conducting research and technological innovation; digitalizing livestock management; and enhancing climate resilience.

The two countries agreed to promote cooperation through information exchange and scientific–technical collaboration within the framework of agricultural and food security programs and projects. On that basis, Vietnam and Senegal will jointly develop initiatives to improve the agricultural sector and enhance food security in Senegal.

To achieve this common goal, both sides committed to advancing activities such as technical exchanges, scientific research, agricultural extension, and technology transfer. They will also strengthen cooperation in research and training between institutes, research centers, and agricultural technology development institutions. Scientific and technical information will be shared through conferences, thematic workshops, and working sessions between relevant agencies, organizations, and enterprises of the two countries.

Vietnam is ready to send experts to provide policy consultation, agricultural development planning, project design and management, as well as technical advice on value chain-based production.

In addition to cooperation on improving irrigation systems, Vietnam and Senegal committed to mobilizing both domestic and international resources to support the implementation of bilateral projects, as well as to jointly seek co-financing from international development organizations.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man congratulated both sides and expressed his confidence that the Memorandum of Understanding would open up practical cooperation opportunities between the two ministries, contributing to strengthening the Vietnam–Senegal partnership in the future.

Promoting trilateral cooperation projects within the South–South framework

On the same day, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung attended the policy dialogue titled “Policies and legal frameworks to promote Vietnam–Senegal development cooperation.”

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister emphasized that Vietnam and Senegal share many similarities in terms of natural conditions, culture, and especially the strategic role of agriculture in socio-economic development. In the face of global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, energy crises, and environmental degradation, strengthening agricultural cooperation between the two countries is essential and urgent.

To ensure the success and effectiveness of agricultural cooperation projects, developed countries and international organizations need to jointly develop and implement trilateral cooperation projects within the South-South cooperation framework by providing financial and technical support. Vietnam will provide technology, expertise, agricultural inputs, and management skills for agricultural projects, while the third country will be the beneficiary.

“We are committed to standing alongside developing countries and are ready to share our agricultural production experience to help African nations achieve sustainable food security, contribute to emission reduction, and strengthen resilience to climate change. We offer our support with sincerity and dedication - staying until our partner countries fully master the technologies, only then will we return home,” said Mr. Pham Ngoc Mau, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation.

In the spirit of promoting cooperation for mutual development, Deputy Minister Hung emphasized the need to strengthen the exchange of policies and priority orientations in agriculture, trade, and investment. He stressed that Vietnam and Senegal should work together to remove legal and institutional barriers in order to create a transparent, stable, and attractive environment for the business community.

“The two sides should share experiences in developing and implementing legal policies, particularly in supporting agricultural production, promoting agricultural trade, and attracting private investment. At the same time, practical cooperation models should be discussed, such as technology transfer, crop and livestock breeding, development of public-private partnership models, agricultural human resource training, and business-to-business connections,” he noted.

The Deputy Minister also proposed concrete initiatives such as signing MoUs, establishing a joint working group, developing South–South cooperation projects, and jointly organizing investment and trade promotion activities.

As part of its international responsibilities, Vietnam has implemented numerous projects in developing countries with the mission of transferring agricultural science, technology, and technical expertise to support these countries in developing their agricultural sectors, ensuring food security, and moving toward export-oriented production.

Therefore, Vietnam stands ready to assist African countries in developing agricultural projects, creating master plans for agricultural land, preparing detailed land-use planning, and cooperating in agricultural scientific and technical research. Vietnam is also willing to organize training programs, either in Vietnam or in the host countries, to build the capacity of agricultural extension officers, managers, and policy-makers.