ACIAR, together with Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), have refreshed our long-standing partnership with a renewed focus on Vietnam-led priorities. Our Partnership Dialogue, held on 22 August in Sydney, Australia, set the stage for future research. A highlight of the event was the signing of a new project to boost digital and green (climate-smart) growth in Vietnam's agriculture sector.
The new ACIAR-funded project 'Digital monitoring of VietGAP compliance in smallholder fruit value chains from the northwest of Vietnam' is a 4-year, A$2.1 million (approx. 35 billion VND) bilateral research partnership co-led by the Applied Horticulture Research (AHR) and Vietnam's Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (FAVRI). The project, with the participation of researchers from FAVRI, Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (NOMAFSI), and Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), will help farmers in Vietnam's North-West region access high-quality markets and enhance the position of Vietnamese fruit in global value chains. It is a key part of ACIAR's current portfolio in Vietnam, valued at A$18.6 million for the next 5 years.
Vice Minister Tran Thanh Nam of MAE underscored the significance of the partnership. 'We wish to collaborate closely with Australia in general, and ACIAR in particular, to achieve Vietnam's goals of green growth, digitalisation, and innovation in the agriculture sector, leveraging both Australia and Vietnam's strengths and advantages.'
'ACIAR has been a proud partner of MAE for over 30 years,' said ACIAR CEO Professor Umberger. 'We are pleased to see the integration of agriculture and the environment, which will support Vietnam in addressing pressing challenges through a more comprehensive approach. ACIAR is committed to helping Vietnam develop country-led initiatives, from identifying research needs to developing new projects in Vietnam for the benefit of Vietnamese people.'
The dialogue also strengthened ACIAR's bilateral partnerships with leaders and research institutions from Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Science and Technology. Participants from Vietnam and Australia represented a diverse range of agricultural expertise, covering science, policy, human resource development and trade. The event reinforced the commitment between ACIAR and MAE to building a bilateral partnership of trust, shared accountability, and mutual benefits, as agreed in a MOU signed between ACIAR and former MAE (then Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) in March 2024.
