Food loss and waste are emerging as major bottlenecks in global agrifood systems, with large quantities of food lost or discarded despite the land, water, energy and labor invested in producing it. In Viet Nam, the issue not only diminishes the value of agricultural products but also generates substantial economic, environmental and social costs. Research on selected value chains shows that food losses occur throughout the chain, from production and harvesting to transportation, post-harvest handling and storage, while food waste continues to arise at the retail, food service and household levels. A clear understanding of the current situation is essential for Viet Nam to further strengthen its policies to reduce food loss, curb food waste and improve the efficiency of the agrifood system as a whole.

Resolution No. 36/2026/NQ-CP and new regulations on growing-area codes (GACs) and packing-facility codes (PFCs) are prompting changes in how these codes are managed, registered, and maintained. At a training session on implementation of the new regulations held on August 20, government officials and experts focused on procedural changes, requirements for digitizing records, and the supporting role of agricultural extension services at the local level.

Ensuring food security, adapting to climate change and delivering on sustainable development commitments have become increasingly interconnected policy priorities for Viet Nam. Against this backdrop, food systems transformation is emerging as a key pillar of the country's long-term development agenda.

In recent years, the One Health has become an increasingly important approach for addressing complex health challenges worldwide. The growing frequency of zoonotic disease outbreaks, rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety incidents, environmental pollution, and the impacts of climate change are gradually blurring the traditional boundaries between the health, agriculture, and environmental sectors.

As Viet Nam’s agricultural sector shifts from a production-driven model toward one centered on value creation, geographical indications (GIs) are emerging as an increasingly important tool for strengthening the competitiveness of local agricultural products. Beyond intellectual property protection, GIs are helping regions build distinctive identities, reorganize production along more professional lines and lay the groundwork for more sustainable agricultural development.

As green standards increasingly become mandatory requirements in global trade, green transition is no longer an option but a development imperative. In Quang Tri province, this transition is being advanced through science and technology, digital transformation, and low-carbon circular economy models. In this context, Agriculture and Environment Magazine interviewed Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri province.

China’s official market access approval for fresh Vietnamese pomelos and lemons has been widely regarded as a major opportunity for the fruit and vegetable sector following years of technical negotiations. However, at the conference on implementing the Protocol on phytosanitary requirements for these two commodities, held on May 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, representatives from regulatory agencies, enterprises, and local authorities emphasized that the greatest challenge now lies not in market access itself, but in the capacity to organize standardized production systems starting at the farm level.

As global trade conditions remain volatile, Viet Nam’s agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors continue to post encouraging export growth. Yet the momentum comes with mounting pressure from stricter market requirements, environmental standards, traceability rules, and rising compliance costs.

A policy workshop on “Con Co special zone – Opportunities and potential for tourism development linked to marine conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and coastal OCOP products” highlighted a new development approach in which growth must go hand in hand with conservation, and economic expansion must be grounded in ecological sustainability and community well-being.

Within the framework of the first National Conference on Livestock and Veterinary Science and Technology organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, a subcommittee on ruminant science and technology convened on March 28 at the National Convention Center (Hanoi) to discuss solutions to reduce methane emissions — one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector. Studies presented at the session indicated that adjusting feed rations, using feed additives, and optimizing feed resources can directly influence rumen fermentation processes. The findings suggest that nutrition-based interventions are emerging as a practical approach to promoting more sustainable livestock production.

After the initial phase of building legal frameworks and piloting traceability systems in selected commodity sectors, Viet Nam’s agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors are now entering a far more complex challenge: organizing and operating data across the entire production chain. From farming areas and cooperatives to exporting enterprises, growing demands for transparency are forcing many parts of the agriculture sector to rethink management practices and operational models that have remained largely unchanged for years.

For many years, Vietnamese agricultural exports entered global markets largely on the strength of seasonal advantages and competitive pricing. However, as importing countries tighten requirements on product quality, food safety, and supply chain transparency, the limitations of that production model have become increasingly apparent. Traceability is therefore no longer limited to labeling or QR-code identification; it has become a catalyst for broader changes in the way agricultural production is governed and managed.

State President Luong Cuong on February 23 launched the 2026 Lunar New Year tree-planting festival at Lao Cai Cultural Park in Cam Duong ward, Lao Cai province. The ceremony, themed “Tree planting festival in eternal gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh,” was jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province.

Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, issued on December 22, 2024 by the Politburo, identifies science, technology, and innovation as key drivers of rapid and sustainable national development. It also underscores the need to improve institutional frameworks, strengthen investment in basic research, and better leverage high-quality human resources. Drawing on his experience in agricultural research, Nguyen Duy Phuong, Ph.D., Head of the Molecular Pathology Department at the Agricultural Genetics Institute, shared with Agriculture and Environment Magazine that while institutional reforms are moving in a positive direction, a deeper concern remains: how to build and retain a strong scientific workforce—especially younger researchers—who will ultimately determine whether the Resolution can be realized in practice over the long term.

Vietnamese officials, international organizations and experts have called for a structured and feasible roadmap to gradually reduce the dog and cat meat trade in Viet Nam, citing risks to public health, animal welfare and the need for a One Health approach, amid ongoing challenges in animal quarantine and rabies control.

On January 27, the third Technical Meeting of the Companion Animals Working Group under the One Health Partnership (OHP) was held to further identify policy and implementation gaps, share domestic and international experience, and discuss and provide feedback on a draft roadmap to reduce and gradually end the dog and cat meat trade, alongside efforts to eliminate rabies in Viet Nam by 2030.

As Viet Nam’s agricultural sector faces growing pressure to shift toward greener, more efficient and climate-resilient growth models, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam said that developing a circular economy technology transfer project, with a focus on promoting public–private partnerships, is a necessary step to lay the groundwork for sustainable agricultural development in the coming period.