Viet Nam is hosting the 4th Global Conference of the One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Programme, under the slogan “The Transformation We Need”. The conference is taking place in person in Hanoi this week, from 24th to 27th April 2023.

The first day of the conference has concluded successfully after rounds of impactful keynote addresses and high level panel discussions. The FAO Director-General QU Dongyu opened the proceedings with a video message and reaffirmed that this conference is a key opportunity to discuss the main barriers and bottlenecks in our agrifood systems, and what needs to change for the effective implementation of national transformative pathways.

In the beginning of the first high level panel, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam (MARD), H.E. Mr Le Minh Hoan, emphasized Viet Nam’s important achievement in poverty reduction, of which food safety and security are critical elements, which has been supported by UN agencies and other development partners. Mr Hoan reiterated the importance of sustainable food systems in achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals. Viet Nam remains a key player and important partner in the transformation toward sustainable food systems on a global scale.

Ms Corinna Hawkes, Director of the Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF), chaired one of the main sessions of the day, that discussed national and sub-national governance and policies.

The Director General of the International Cooperation Department (ICD) of MARD, Mr Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, emphasized the comprehensiveness of food for our society as a whole and, in this light, expressing his appreciation for the central pillars of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, the 4 Betters: “That’s why I love the FAO slogan – Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life.”