EcoFoodSystems Engages in Vietnam’s Food Systems Transformation Dialogue: ISG Plenary Meeting
Hoang The Ky, Ciara Varley, Anna Lorente Sebastian, Peter C. McKeown, Charles Spillane.
EcoFoodSystems PhD researchers Hoang The Ky and Minh Duc Tran recently participated in the International Support Group (ISG) Plenary Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The International Support Group (ISG) Plenary Meeting, organised by the ISG under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), brought together 150 representatives to discuss the implementation of Vietnam’s National Action Plan on Food Systems Transformation (NAP-FST) to 2030. The meeting aimed to support the implementation of Vietnam’s National Action Plan on Food Systems Transformation (NAP-FST) to 2030, focusing on mechanisms to enable low-emission agriculture, nutrition, food safety and governance.
The morning’s technical sessions, attended by EcoFoodSystems’ researchers Ky Hoang and Minh Duc Tran, placed the focus on three areas:
- Low-emission and sustainable production.
- Nutrition, food safety and food loss and waste.
- Governance and financing mechanisms for food systems transformation.
EcoFoodSystems then attended the session on Nutrition, Food Loss and Waste, where Ky noted emphasis on:
- Integrating nutrition into agricultural development.
- Strengthening traditional markets.
- Reducing food loss and waste in high-value value chains.
- Applying data-driven tools to monitor diet affordability and sustainability.
- Preserving traditional dietary patterns alongside promoting healthier diets in a rapidly modernising society.
The afternoon high-level plenary convened senior leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, FAO, Asia Development Bank, embassies, UN agencies and research institutions. The plenary saw the signing of the Food Systems Transformation Partnership agreements and a focus on the International Year of Women Farmers, launched by FAO.
The meeting closely aligns with EcoFoodSystems’ own mission to strengthen evidence-based solutions for inclusive and sustainable food systems. By engaging in national policy dialogue such as the International Support Group (ISG) Plenary Meeting, EcoFoodSystems aims to help bridge research, policy and practice, supporting Vietnam’s efforts to achieve more sustainable, healthy and affordable food systems now and in the future.
The EcoFoodSystems project extends thanks to the EU DeSIRA initiative for funding and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for management support.