EcoFoodSystems shares latest research findings at DeSIRA Connect Day in Hanoi
EcoFoodSystems recently attended the DeSIRA Connect Day in Hanoi. EcoFoodSystems shared latest research findings on transitioning diets of nutritionally marginalised city region consumers towards diets that are more healthy, sustainable and affordable.
Ky Hoang, Ciara Varley, Charlie Spillane, Anna Lorente Sebastian
The EcoFoodSystems project recently presented at the DeSIRA Connect Days (Asia and the Pacific) from January 14th to 16th in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The event, which was run by the European Commission’s DeSIRA Initiative, brought together over 60 participants from across the Asia-Pacific region. Participants worked together to share the latest findings and strategies from their research and innovation activities for supporting sustainable food systems in rural and urban areas across Asia and the Pacific.
During the session on research findings for sustainable food systems, EcoFoodSystems PhD researcher Hoang The Ky, shared recent EcoFoodSystems research findings on the importance of transitioning diets of nutritionally marginalised city region consumers towards diets that are more healthy, sustainable and affordable.

Ky presented EcoFoodSystem research findings under the theme: “Transitioning Hanoi-city region towards more sustainable, healthy & affordable diets.”
In particular, Ky presented EcoFoodSystems’s work on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) mapping of marginalised food consumers in Hanoi city region, and insights from EcoFoodSystems mapping of multistakeholder food system networks in Vietnam. Ky also presented details of the EcoFoodSystems innovation and partnerships strategy.
A key highlight from the EcoFoodSystems presentation was the project’s multistakeholder engagement to identify research and innovation priorities for enabling sustainable health and affordable dietary shifts in Hanoi. These are detailed in the from EcoFoodSystems Multistakeholder Workshop Report: ‘Research Priorities for Enabling, Healthy, Sustainable and Affordable Diets in Hanoi City Region’, which identifies research questions and tools for decision making that were identified and prioritised at the EcoFoodSystems Project Multistakeholder Research Prioritisation Workshop held in Hanoi on January 24th 2024.
Speaking about the EcoFoodSystems project, Ky Hoang, one of the PhD researchers on the EcoFoodSystems project, indicated:
“The EcoFoodSystems project aims to conduct research to support food systems decision making across the Hanoi city region. Our participation in this workshop provides an opportunity to share insights and learn from other DESIRA initiatives, enhance collaborative efforts to support sustainable food systems in Hanoi city region and Vietnam more broadly.”

In addition to this poster session presentation, Ky also participated in a numer of other sessions during the day. During the sessions on research and innovation strategies within DeSIRA projects and stakeholder engagement, Ky shared insights on methodologies and challenges from the EcoFoodSystem initiative, including good practice for maintaining multi-stakeholder networks to drive systemic change.
Key Takeaways from DeSIRA Connect Days for EcoFoodSystem’s city regional stakeholders include:
- Multistakeholder and participatory platforms: Multistakeholder engagement and participatory research are vital for scaling agricultural innovations.
- Farmer-first and user-first innovations: Farmer-led and user-led innovations and collective action are crucial for addressing food system challenges.
- Gender and youth are critical for social inclusion: Gender-sensitive and youth-focused initiatives are essential for inclusive agricultural transformation.
- Policy support is vital: Robust evidence and frameworks, combined with tailored funding strategies are critical for sustaining long-term impacts for food system transformation.
Speaking to participants about the EcoFoodSystems project, Duong Thu Hang, Research Officer for the EcoFoodSystems project within Rikolto, said:
“ I think what the EcoFoodSystems Project and DeSIRA have in common is diversity. Diversity in terms of actors, diversity in terms of key themes, and diversity in terms of perspectives. People come from different backgrounds, and even work in different sectors, but together can work on the same key topics related to health, agriculture, the environment, gender and equity.
Food system stakeholders interested in learning more about EcoFoodSystems’s research in Vietnam can read EcoFoodSystems’s recent report ‘Research Priorities for Enabling Healthy, Sustainable and Affordable Diets in Hanoi City Region‘ to learn more about the project’s identification of research and innovation priorities for Hanoi city region.
Overall, the DeSIRA Connect Days in Hanoi provided a platform for collaborative discussion and stakeholder engagement. The EcoFoodSystems project are grateful for the opportunity to attend DeSIRA’s Connect Days in Hanoi, Vietnam and Bogotá, Colombia. The EcoFoodSystems Research and Innovation project look forward to seeing how other DESIRA projects working in the Asia-Pacific region develop, and to the final DeSIRA Connect event in Brussels in March 2025.