On October 28, at the “Ceremony to acknowledge the international community’s support for Vietnamese people affected by typhoons Bualoi and Matmo,” Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep announced that by November, all financial aid would be fully distributed to households affected by the disasters. Each household will receive cash assistance ranging from VND 2 million to VND 5 million to help them quickly stabilize their lives.

On October 24, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep met with South African Minister of Agriculture John Henry Steenhuise. During the meeting, the two sides agreed to promote agricultural trade and aim to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in November. The meeting took place as leaders of both countries move toward establishing a Strategic Partnership later this year. Both Vietnam and South Africa expressed their desire to expand economic and trade cooperation, particularly in agriculture and environment — sectors where they possess complementary strengths and potential.

Vietnam and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are reinforcing their long-standing partnership to continue implementing projects on climate change adaptation, green transition, and sustainable development in the country.

Held in the context of Vietnam’s accelerated implementation of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, the national scientific conference titled “Breakthroughs in science and technology to drive Green transition and sustainable development” served as a key platform bringing together scientists, policymakers, and businesses. The event sought to propose breakthrough solutions and relevant international models, while also recommending policies to mobilize social resources for green growth and sustainable development.

Amid Vietnam’s drive for a green transition and international integration in vocational education, the establishment of a Vietnam-France cooperation framework for 2025-2027 in agricultural training marks a significant milestone. The program aims to cultivate a generation of “green-digital-climate-resilient” professionals, based on France’s advanced agricultural training models, thereby laying an institutional foundation for ecological and sustainable agriculture.

On October 17, in Hanoi, Acting Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received and held a working session with Mr. Honna Hitoshi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Erex Co., Ltd. (Japan). The discussion focused on promoting cooperation in biomass energy, green transition, and carbon market development in Vietnam.

Promoting carbon neutrality has become an urgent requirement for advancing sustainable agriculture and realizing Vietnam’s commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Strengthening understanding of greenhouse gas measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, as well as the carbon credit mechanism, is a crucial step for the agricultural sector to actively engage in the carbon market and foster a genuine green transition.

As the digital economy continues to reshape global trade, Vietnam’s agriculture stands at a crucial crossroads, full of opportunities yet facing multiple challenges. Digital transformation is widely regarded as the key to strengthening competitiveness, expanding market reach, and building sustainable agricultural brands. However, technological infrastructure, digital skills, and investment costs remain major obstacles.

That is the central message of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management 2025. This year’s commemorative activities focus on young people, the future stewards of the nation, with the belief that investing in youth today means laying the strongest foundation for a safer and more sustainable tomorrow. Equipping the younger generation with knowledge, skills, and awareness in disaster prevention and response is an investment in the collective “resilience” of the entire community.

On October 8 in Hanoi, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang received Mr. Pekka Voutilainen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to Vietnam.

This was affirmed by Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep during a meeting with Ms. Pauline Tamesis, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, on September 24 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) headquarters. Lessons learned from Typhoon Yagi and recent natural disasters underscore the importance of accurate situation assessment, proper planning, and timely assistance. This also serves as a basis for strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and the United Nations to enhance disaster response capacity amid complex climate change developments.

On 23 September, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam met with Mr. Adham Omar, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Egypt in Vietnam, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. During the session, Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam highlighted the significant untapped potential and opportunities in agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and Egypt, following up on Vietnamese President Luong Cuong’s recent official visit to Egypt and aiming to boost bilateral agricultural trade.

On September 23, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang received and held talks with Ms. Mariam Sherman, World Bank (WB) Division Director for Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR. The discussions centered on key projects in agriculture, irrigation, climate change, and fisheries, while also charting the direction for a high-level strategic cooperation framework in the years ahead.

Environmental education in schools is not simply about imparting knowledge, it is a tool to shape sustainable habits and behaviors among future generations. On September 19, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment launched the ASEAN Eco-School Award 2025 under the theme “Plastic-free schools”, accompanied by a dialogue of the same name.

Digital transformation has been identified as one of the eight top priorities of the National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030, opening opportunities to restructure the agricultural sector toward value-added, sustainable growth, and deeper integration into the digital economy. At the Forum on “Digital transformation and innovation in agricultural development and environmental protection”, organized by the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) on September 18, in Hanoi, policymakers, experts, and businesses presented a range of substantive perspectives and proposals. These viewpoints sketched a comprehensive picture of the requirements, conditions, and pathways for advancing agricultural digital transformation in line with the objectives of green development and ecological sustainability.

On September 16, the governments of Vietnam and Singapore officially signed an agreement to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The signing ceremony was held online, attended by Vietnam’s Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang and Singapore’s Minister for Environment and Sustainability and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu. The agreement establishes a bilateral legal framework, paving the way for emissions reduction projects in Vietnam to be recognized and participate in the international carbon credit market.

On September 16 in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Quy Kien received and held talks with Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, former Minister of Defense of Japan. The meeting took place in an open and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the determination of both sides to promote comprehensive cooperation, particularly in high-tech sectors, green agriculture, and environmental protection.