Dialogue held to promote circular economy in agriculture

A Policy Dialogue on "Enhancing International Cooperation and Multi-sectoral Coordination on Circular Economy in Agriculture" was held in Hanoi on July 8.

The event, co-organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), was attended by over 100 delegates from 70 domestic and international organizations and over 20 provinces and cities nationwide.

The conference aimed to raise awareness among stakeholders about the role of the circular economy in achieving development goals in the agriculture sector.

The Dialogue further aims to share best practices in the circular economy; orient key agricultural sectors towards circular economic development and corresponding markets; identify the challenges and opportunities to make recommendations on appropriate mechanisms and policies for the development of the circular economy. In particular, in the context of the development and integration, no single sector can grow independently without interaction and coordination with others.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien affirmed that "Developing a circular economy in agriculture is not only a requirement and an inevitable trend, but also a solution for a sustainable and effective agricultural development to fulfill international commitments and implement national and sectoral tasks on green and sustainable development."

He emphasized the crucial and practical role of circular agriculture in ensuring economic, social, and environmental benefits when applying circular agricultural models. More than ever, climate change, scarcity of natural resources, environmental degradation, diseases, and other factors are compelling countries to reconsider their approaches to development and production, guided by the fundamental principle that "everything serves as input for something else".

Mrs. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of UNDP in Vietnam, emphasized that "Accelerated resource recovery from agro-waste will contribute to reusing and producing materials, proteins, energy, and nutrients while improving food quality and strengthening the resilience of food systems and smallholders to rapidly increasing climate impacts. We can all do our part to contribute to stimulating markets for circular products. From the supply side, we must build on the science, technologies, and successful pilots already taking place in Vietnam to design farming systems that efficiently use natural resources at the farm level and along the whole supply chain, including all actors in processing, transport, retailers, therefore promoting responsible sourcing from farm to fork."

At the dialogue, participants shared international cooperation mechanisms and inter-sectoral coordination to promote circular agriculture practices, introduce successful circular agriculture models, and appreciate the proactive efforts of the agriculture sector in practicing circular agriculture. In particular, the public-private partnership was emphasized as a key factor in the success of circular agriculture, specifically the proactive role of the private sector in applying science and technology and deploying innovative circular agriculture initiatives and models.