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.

On January 12, during a working session between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and a delegation from Son La province led by Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Cong, compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for Son La’s coffee-growing areas was identified as an urgent issue.

As the world faces mounting challenges from climate change, food insecurity, resource depletion and widening nutrition inequality, transforming food systems toward greener, low-emission and sustainable pathways has become an urgent task rather than a long-term aspiration, including for Viet Nam.

The technical discussion session held on the morning of January 9, as part of the ISG 2025 Conference themed “Advancing a green, low-emission and sustainable food systems transition: Cooperation and innovation,” focused on reviewing implementation progress and clarifying key pillars of Viet Nam’s National Action Plan for a transparent, responsible and sustainable food systems transformation (FST-NAP) through 2030. Through policy updates, FAO’s technical support orientations and in-depth group discussions, the session identified critical bottlenecks and priority actions aimed at translating strategic commitments into tangible outcomes on the ground.

Through the launch ceremony of the Viet Nam Agricultural Product Traceability System on December 26, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment aims to operationalize major policy orientations on digital transformation and agricultural value chain management. The initiative is designed to effectively implement the pilot traceability program for durian, raise awareness and accountability among stakeholders across production and supply chains, and promote the application of science and technology to enhance transparency, ensure food safety, and gradually expand traceability to a wider range of agricultural products.

On December 12, during a meeting with Mr. Tsutomu Takebe, Special Advisor to the Japan–Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance and former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang affirmed that high-quality human resource development is a key pillar for elevating agricultural cooperation between Viet Nam and Japan. In a context where the two countries demonstrate clear complementarities in labor and technology, cooperation in education and training linked with practical experience and entrepreneurship has been identified as a strategic direction.