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A summary of key views and outcomes from international bilateral and multilateral organizations represented at the Dialogue is provided below. There was broad and strong commitment to working with the Government of Vietnam, through a variety of modalities, initiatives, regions, and thematic areas towards the development of sustainable food systems. • The United Nations in Vietnam is committed to working side by side with and providing support to the government of Vietnam in strong partnership with development partners and other stakeholders working on food systems. The UN is prepared to prov... Read moreide technical and financial assistance to support the development of inclusive and sustainable food, value chains and market systems, promote business opportunities for the rural population, and strengthen resources and markets to enhance linkages and economic transformation while improving employment and income opportunities and reinforcing sustainable livelihoods. The UN will support Vietnam in developing national pathways towards inclusive and sustainable food systems, and for Vietnam to use its scarce public resources to leverage responsible private investment to support this transformation in food systems. • The World Bank in Vietnam offered full support as Vietnam moves forwards and faces multiple food system challenges. The World Bank can provide global technical expertise to some of these very complex problems. It can provide financing and knowledge work as needed working in partnership with other colleagues and development partners. The most urgent priorities for Vietnam’s food systems were: 1. climate change mitigation; 2. climate change adaptation; 3. food safety and a focus on higher quality, higher value food, and: 4. challenge associated with changing demography, in particular the impact of an aging rural labour force, and outmigration. • Canada is supporting food systems related initiatives in Vietnam through strengthening food value chains, increasing farmers' incomes through cooperative enterprise development, improving food safety, enhancing gender equality, and protecting the environment. The Food for Growth Project is working to improve food safety across select value chains in Vietnam. In addition, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently signed an MOU with MARD to support enhanced sanitary and phytosanitary measures and approaches in Vietnam. The Ambassador said that Canada remains committed to supporting Vietnam's efforts to transform its food systems and ensure that they are transparent, responsible, and sustainable. • The Netherlands highlighted three ingredients for successful transformation of Vietnam’s food systems: 1. strong leadership; 2. Multistakeholder involvement by ensuring provincial governments are participating and engaging their local expertise and by including farmers and the private partners; and 3. a strong interface between science and policy making to increase evidence-based decision making. The agricultural transformation program in the Mekong Delta headed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and supported by the Netherlands and several international partners was proposed as an illustrative model with these ingredients to enhance Vietnam’s potential by moving from food chains to food systems. • The United States mission to Vietnam extended an invitation for Vietnam to join the AIM for Climate initiative during the upcoming FSS. Announced by the United States and the United Arab Emirates during President Biden's leaders’ summit for climate, the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate or “AIM for Climate” aims to increase and accelerate global innovation and research. And development on agriculture and food systems in support of climate action. AIM for Climate partners will mobilize new investment in climate smart agriculture and generate better coordination and cooperation. It was emphasized that sustainable food systems are critical to addressing climate change, and the need to promote the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and other low emissions practices and food systems. Doing so will enhance resilience of food systems to climate change. The food Read less

Online participants were invited to submit their ideas, comments, and suggestions to the 2nd National Dialogue. The prompting questions were provided below to guide input. How and where might your organization be interested in working or collaborating to support the transformation of food systems in Vietnam? “Where” in terms of thematic or action track areas, regions, or cross-cutting initiatives) and “how” in terms of role and modality - i.e. a funder, co-investor, technical collaboration, implementation partner, research and innovation partner. What might this involvement look like? ... Read moreWhat needs to be done? By whom?] A list of research and development organisations and projects currently working on aspects of food systems submitted information and a description of their capability and area of work. Comments and suggestions from online participants also provided more emphasis in some key areas which had less focus in the main presentation. These included: better understanding of food safety risks and causes; causes and possible solutions to infant malnutrition in mountainous areas; importance of diversification and higher-value markets in large-scale, low priced food crops; importance of engaging SME’s, particularly food processors to improve nutrition; importance for understanding trade-offs to identify practical food system solutions in poor marginalized communities; and need to improve skills, knowledge and market connectivity of cooperatives. A key question going forward, is how can sharing of ideas, coordination and collaboration between these, and many other relevant stakeholders, organisations and projects working in the food system be improved and operationalised. What changes will be made to the current situation of fragmented institutional and project design and implementation. What concrete actions, mechanisms and initiatives will be implemented. By whom? One area of divergence will be how Vietnam can both modernise food production and increase whilst simultaneously implement a rapid transition towards a low carbon “green economy”, at the same time ensuring protection of the environment and strengthening resilience of vulnerable groups to risk and shocks, particularly from the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, climate change and natural disasters. Progressing this agenda, whilst also tackling persistent malnutrition in mountainous areas, and the rapidly emerging health and nutrition issues associated with unhealthy diet in urban areas, requires the serious transition from a food production to food systems focus. Only a food system approach can assist tackle this complexity and multiple trade-offs. Read less

Describe up to 10 Discussion topics, each in under 4,200 characters including spaces A summary of the opportunities and solutions identified for each discussion Theme is provided below. Theme 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all and shift to sustainable consumption patterns - High demand on safe and nutritious foods; - Application of a multidisciplinary approach, combination of both health and agriculture to reduce stunting/malnutrition rates; - Including the indicator of stunting/malnutrition and food safe into the socio-economic indicators from the commune level up to central... Read more level; - Improvement of household meals by using existing food ingredients; - Encourage using local food rather than processed foods containing unhealthy substances - Raising consumer awareness in both rural and urban areas about the importance of food safety and nutrition through education, training, and attractive communication; - Strengthening the role of consumer protection association; - Improving communication with simple and attractive images and videos; - Strictly monitoring food labeling - Prioritizing policies for healthy and adverse food products - Establishing the nutrition law Theme 2: Boost nature-positive production and build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress - Investment in smart agriculture, boosting application of innovative and advanced postharvest and processing technology - Promotion of biosecurity production, application of standards and regulations in production - Expanding centralized production areas for specialty products in the localities to meet market demands. - Promotion of biosecurity production, balance between livestock and crop production - Political support for strengthening, scaling up and scaling out - Strengthening surveillance and monitoring systems - Improving mechanisms and policies to support farmers and cooperatives to be able to access resources for safe production with high product quality. - Food safety management along the value chain using a risk-based approach - Investment of infrastructure and equipment for both production areas and lab analysis - Human capacity improvement for the value chain actors to be sustainable - Enhancing e-commerce. Theme 3: Eliminate poverty and increase income, advance equitable livelihoods, and value division - The legal framework of the food system is internationally integrated; - Wholesale and retail markets build up a decentralized network for an efficient and equitable distribution of fresh food products; - Traceability, better information flow by application of digital technology, shared governance - Improvement of coordination among stakeholders, market linkages - Sharing risks, better distribution of value and power in the supply chain - Promoting public-private partnership Read less

Describe in under 5,600 characters including spaces There are some divergent views from the participant inputs are listed as follows: - The priorities given for policy, food safety, equality and inclusion; - Balance between safe production and quantity to meet the economic goals; - The consumer perception on seriousness of microbial and chemical food safety hazard; - Who are responsible for food safety: government authority, private sectors, and consumers? - The causes and solutions to improve malnutrition and stunting in children; - The legal framework is internationally integrated but the po... Read morelicy implementations need to be reinforced. Read less

The Northern region consists of 25 provinces (6 provinces in the Northwest, 9 provinces in the Northeast, and 10 provinces in the Red River Delta) with a total area of approximately 110,000 km2; population: 35 million people, accounting for one third of the country's area and population. In the North, agriculture is identified as one of key economic pillars. However, the production and consumption of food, accessibility to nutritious and safe food for all, and operation of food value chains in the North are still facing to many challenges such as small-scale and fragmented production, out-date... Read mored farming methods, un-biosecurity, abuse of plant protection drugs, chemical fertilizers, veterinary drugs, and additives processing etc. In the Northern mountainous areas, the rate of low-income households and children with malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies is still very high. Furthermore, many locations there have complex topography, sloping land, and frequent experience with extreme climate phenomena such as heavy rains, floods, landslides, causing heavy damage to crops and livestock, seriously affecting people's livelihood. Many food value chains are not sustainable; the linkages between actors are loose, and the flow of information is not transparent. Therefore, the Sub-National Dialogue on food systems in Northern Viet Nam focus on three themes, corresponding to five Action Tracks exploring the current challenges, opportunities, trade-offs and synergies of the Northern food systems (i) Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all and shift to sustainable consumption patterns (Action track 1 and 2); (ii) Boost nature-positive production and build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress (Action track 3 and 5), and (iii) Eliminate poverty and increase income, advance equitable livelihoods, and value division (Action track 4). After official welcome by the Chair of the Dialogue Event - Mr. Le DucThinh, Director of Department of Cooperative and Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and opening remarks by the international organizations (UNICEF, IFAD, Embassy of Canada, CGIAR), a series of introductory and technical presentations were given to participants namely introduction of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit given by Mr. Hoang Van Tu, FAO, followed by the key outcomes from 1st National Dialogue by Mr. Rodd Dyer – the regional curator, finally the overview of food systems in the Northern Vietnam: Characteristics, Problems to be solved, Challenges, and Opportunities given by Ms. Tran Thi Dinh, the Northern Dialogue curator. Once the presentations completed, two dialogue sessions were organized in which the participants were divided into five online discussion groups according to their preferred Themes. Each group was supported by a Facilitator and a Note-taker. First, the facilitator gave a brief introduction and overview of the discussion theme topic and process, and then participants were invited to contribute their opinions, guided by several focus questions. In the first session, participants explored the questions: What is the current situation, issues, challenges and gaps need to be addressed related to the discussed Themes? In the second session participants explored the questions: What are the initiatives, solutions and actions within the discussed Themes that Northern Viet Nam should take to contribute to the Food Systems to foster rapid and lasting changes. Read less

The Sub-national Dialogue on food systems in Northern Vietnam was successfully organized with the participation of diverse stakeholders coming from 25 Northern provinces. The Dialogue created a friendly and trustworthy platform for participants to share the ideas, experiences and knowledge on specific problems and challenges of the Northern food systems and to contribute bold ideas, creative solutions to set a pathway toward more sustainable, responsible, and transparent food systems. In the official plenary session, departments in the central government as well as national and international p... Read moreartners strongly showed their interests and commitment to the food system summit. Then, in the first dialogue session the typical characteristics, challenges and gaps need to be addressed in the food systems in the Northern Vietnam were clarified by active contribution of all participants such as high prevalence of children malnutrition and nutrient deficiency in the remote and mountainous areas, a major problem on food safety, unbalanced nutrition in the diets, unsustainable supply chain operation, low awareness of people on food safety and nutrition, climate change and environmental pollution due to abuse of chemicals and over-exploitation, inefficient and ineffective policy implementation, the invisible role of women in the society etc. In the second Dialogue session, the participants identified opportunities, solutions, and actions pathways to achieve more responsible, sustainable and transparent food systems in the Northern Vietnam. The solutions could be groups into (i) innovation and technology applied across the entire food systems including labelling, traceability, food safety, product quality, e-commerce, (ii) legal framework and policy implementation to support or control sustainable/un-safe production, (iii) funding distribution to be effective, (iv) environmental protection, and gender equality and social inclusion, particularly most vulnerable groups affected by shocks and stress. Read less

Current situation, issues, challenges and gaps need to be addressed in the food systems in the Northern Vietnam Participants identified various characteristics, issues and problems in each discussion Theme. Several consistent issues and cross-cutting themes were identified, some across multiple Themes (e.g., food safety, communication, climate change, traceability, food labelling). Summary of the problems, vulnerabilities, and gaps for each of the three discussion themes corresponding to five Action Tracks is given below: Theme 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all and shift to ... Read moresustainable consumption patterns - Food safety is a major issue due to abuse of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary products, food additives and traditional farming habits; - Food safety management in the wet markets is still a big challenge while most of foods are purchased in these markets. Traceability for the products in the wet markets is currently almost impossible. - Rate of children malnutrition and nutrition deficiency in the mountainous areas is high due to low rate of breastfeeding, low nutrition value and diversity of baby foods while the rate of obesity in the big cites increases due to consumption of unhealthy foods. - Awareness, knowledge, and best practices of the Northern people, especially producers and consumers on food safety and nutrition are still low; - Capacity of the management authority is still low both quality and quantity; - Communication on food safety and nutrition is not effective and transparent; - Implementation of food policies and law is not yet effective; - Food labeling is not transparent; - Accessibility to safe and nutritious foods has not yet assured for the entire Northern resident. Theme 2: Boost nature-positive production and build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stress. - Production is unsustainable, focusing on quantity not yet quality - Small-scale and fragmented production is typical in the North. Lots of producers do not follow technical regulations and standards. - Small holder farmers face many difficulties to produce safe foods due to lack of investment and low income, limited access to the big markets. - Lack of young and high quality labour for agriculture production - Climate change increases natural disasters, floods, and epidemics, causing heavy damage to crops and livestock, seriously affecting people's livelihood. - Pollution of soil, water, biodiversity degradation due to overuse of chemicals - Market is unstable due to weak linkage, lack of technology, and pandemic (Covid 19). The most vulnerable actor is producers. - Lack of supportive policies, especially for small-holder farmers Theme 3: Eliminate poverty and increase income, advance equitable livelihoods, and value division. - Many food value chains are not sustainable; the linkages between actors are loose, and the flow of information is not transparent; - Postharvest and processing technologies are out-dated; - Infrastructures in the wholesale and wet markets do not meet the standards, thus it is difficult to assure food safety and the food loss and waste are huge; - Unbalance of food distribution in urban and rural areas; - Limited involvement of private sectors; - Unfair competition among enterprises due to lack of information transparency. Read less

Thematic area 1: Costs and benefits of environmentally sound and socially acceptable production Selected results and impetus for future dialogues: • It is important for all parties involved to achieve a paradigm shift based on the insight that "avoiding damage is more economical and ecological than making good damage". • The theoretical groundwork for the evaluation of costs and benefits has been laid. One excellent instrument is the true-cost approach. • Transparent supply and processing chains represent a basic requirement. • Agricultural holdings are called upon to develop new distr... Read moreibution channels, diversification and new business models. • Operational bookkeeping and accounting of holdings should be brought into line with sustainability criteria (societal performance). • Sustainable production methods should be rendered visible and tangible for consumers. Notably at the local level. • Communication by farmers is required to enable direct consumer interaction and thus deepen the perception and appreciation of the agricultural sector. • In order to sustainably convert the food system in Germany, state intervention is required (levies, taxes, subsidies, etc.). • State instruments should be used in line with the objectives (e.g. geared towards the SDGs) in order to genuinely foster environmentally and socially acceptable production. • In the longer term, a global matrix for social, economic and environmental standards must be developed. Read less

Thematic area 2: Requirements for sustainable agricultural food production Selected results and impetus for future dialogues: • Smart farming systems (e.g. agro-forestry systems) are required in order to implement ecological intensification. • Substance cycles, also beyond farming, must be closed. • The importance of breeding should be highlighted, as well as the need to support it. • A central role is attributed to research and the quick transfer of results into practice. • Technical innovations should be reinforced and the importance of social innovations should be underlined. • ... Read moreEducation and knowledge exchange are key factors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Read less

Thematic area 3: Sustainable food systems in rural and urban areas: Infrastructure requirements Selected results and impetus for future dialogues: • Municipalities and regions should be better equipped to support regional structures such as value-added chains. • Consideration should always be given to reducing red tape. • Coordinators are needed who develop networks and promote networking and knowledge-sharing. • Regionality should be promoted. It would be wise to establish a federal network for regional value chains in order to learn from one another across the board. Bringing togethe... Read morer local initiatives on the ground is also helpful. • Away-from-home catering, in particular in communal catering facilities, is considered as a great lever for change to strengthen regional value-added chains. • The subject of sustainability should be integrated into vocational training and continuing training curricula more and more. Across the board, there was a call for comprehensive and inclusive educational work. • A targeted training of training officers, vocational teachers and other educators was identified as key. • If small producers and processors pool their product range, for example via food hubs and other trading formats, they can benefit from shared logistics and marketing. • Product policies in the regional sector should focus on a quality strategy, because regional processing operations cannot keep abreast in an all-out price war. Developing professional infrastructures is key to the success of these operators. Read less

Thematic area 4: The future food industry Selected results and impetus for future dialogues: • Avoiding food loss and waste must be an absolute priority. • Pioneering entrepreneurs in existing companies and in start-ups as well as think tanks should be made more visible so that solutions can be implemented and disseminated. • Sustainability needs more investment (capital), which also includes funding options with a minimum of bureaucracy, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (upfront financing). • Long-term planning predictability should be assured, including the implem... Read moreentation of a coherent sustainability policy with clearly defined aims and a timeline for implementation. Policy-makers are generally urged to step up the pace and be more pragmatic. • A new way of consumer communication with a focus on mainstream consumers is necessary. • The appreciation of foodstuffs should be promoted and explicitly demanded. • A dialogue format gathering consumers, industry, academia and administrations should be established. Basically, this forum should do away with silo mentality and confrontation, but focus on cooperation and togetherness instead. • Support schemes should be set up for the targeted introduction of new approaches in marketing and food loss and waste reduction. • Food business operators should be obliged to offer/accept further training opportunities on sustainability issues. • Better assessment of food loss and waste and reduction/use of invisible food via platforms. • Sustainability should be reward in a more visible manner and by paying premiums (THG budget, carbon leakage etc.). Read less

Thematic area 5: Food of the future - more plant-based Selected results and impetus for future dialogues: • The share of consumption of (red) meat and milk/dairy products should be reduced. • By 2030 sustainable food consumption should have a significantly higher share of diverse foods of plant origin. • Sustainable food consumption takes into account health, social and environmental impacts of the entire food system. • The influence of food environments is underestimated. Societies should put more emphasis on designing these food environments. • The food systems of the future should... Read more be innovative and break new ground. • Producers and foods should be better appreciated. • Good communication is vital. • More steering impulses from the consumption side are needed, in addition to the political measures that are predominantly on the supply side. • We need evidence-based food and nutrition policies. • Awareness-raising of sustainable food consumption has to be a natural part in all phases of living and learning. • Our mindset and jobs should be guided by the concept of circularity (“CircularSociety”). Read less

Divergences emerged in all areas. They were, in particular, related to aspects of perception and/or target achievement (trade-off between goals). They included issues with respect to: • The integration of climate and ecological criteria into the agri-food sector; • Should we have more organic production, and are conventional practices bad? What is a balanced relationship of cropping practices in an integrated product approach? • What is the right diet? Should we all become vegans or can those of us who can afford it continue to eat meat? • Which labels have the qualities to guarantee t... Read moreransparency, clarity and trust? Do we need new labels? • How can we improve the image of agriculture and producers? • Why do many people in Germany eat unhealthy diets, and why is it so hard to convince people to adopt healthy eating patterns? All participants were aware that in Germany our views and thoughts are based on a German perspective. At European and international levels (e.g. in the global South), there are other problems that depend on our way of producing and trading food. International food systems are composed of many (national) subsystems and are closely linked. It is all the more important to maintain our dialogue and possibly expand it beyond Germany's borders. Read less

The dialogue process in Germany strives to analyse existing national food systems and identify positive approaches on the way towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and render them useful for the future. The dialogue was structured into five thematic areas, which were based on current issues that are vital for the future: 1. Costs and benefits of environmentally sound and socially acceptable production 2. Requirements for sustainable agricultural food production 3. Sustainable food systems in rural and urban areas: Infrastructure requirements 4. The future food industry 5. Food of th... Read moree future - more plant-based The selection was based on current, existing political dialogue processes and issues from science, industry and civil society. Read less

The following overriding subjects were identified in the individual thematic areas, which will be further explored in the follow-up process: • Transparency in supply chains ranging from production via processing right up to consumers (contribution to Action Tracks 2 and 3) • Systemic educational approach to sustainable food production and nutrition (contribution to Action Tracks 1, 2 and 3) • How is sustainability achieved through new framework conditions? (contribution to Action Tracks 3 and 4) • Structures - notably the implementation of measures (at regional level) (contribution to ... Read moreAction Tracks 1, 4 and 5) • Responsibility also in a global context (contribution to Action Tracks 4 and 5) Read less

The title of the subtheme of the fifth Dialogue was “Aligning on the risks and opportunities, vision, goals and strategic choices of the agriculture sector” The purpose of the Dialogue was to present to the key policy influencers the findings and recommendations that were being generated from the previous dialogues, desktop research and Presummit outputs and the shape that the emerging transformation roadmap of the food system is taking for their alignment and critical input. This would provide a sense check assessment in preparation of the country final report for the Summit.

There was general alignment with regard the Agriculture Sector vision, the underpinning seven goals, the framework of the strategic choices (the priority areas) and the appreciation of risks that could hurt and derail the transformation of the food system and well as the opportunities that the sector could leverage and stretch to deliver the sector goals. Kindly refer to the attachment for details.

The main output of the dialogue was the proposed top-line strategy (see attached file) would serve as the base for the drafting of a more detailed country’s food transformation roadmap for the September Summit as well as the starter for the development of the agriculture sector strategy and action pathways for the next planning cycle.

Discussion Topic AT6: Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act-a legal framework for sustainable food systems in Nepal Underlying causes/barriers for achieving the stated proposition: • Ineffective implementation of existing food laws and lack of policy compliance. • Inability to conduct adequate programs by identifying appropriate food insecure areas. • Inadequate efforts for effective implementation of the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act and committed by the representatives. • Ineffective coordination between provincial and local bodies as well as unclarity on policies, • Weak... Read more of policy coherence and ineffective implementation of food Acts and Regulations, • Inadequate of information and awareness about the law, implementation efforts, • Provincial and Local Level guidelines on Bylaws on RtF act not yet developed. • Lack of institutional set up like technical food security committee are challenges to implement RtF act at Municipality and Provincial levels • Lack of harmonization among sectoral policies and regulations. • Lack of clear roles and responsibilities and accountability mechanism among the stakeholders. • Lack of policy coherence and full implementation of Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act • Lack of appropriate food system governance mechanism at provincial and local level • Limited consultations with stakeholders, while formulating the Act; outcomes of the consultations were not widely shared. • Inadequate sensitization/awareness on constitutional, legal and policy issues. • Inadequate monitoring and oversight of the implementation process. • Culture of non-compliance in the governance system and lack of organized efforts in the implementation of policies. • Poor accountability measures on the implementation of laws/policies. • Governments, particularly at local levels lack technical capacity to prepare laws and policies. Actions in next 3 years that will have greatest impact: • Implementation of regulations on Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act; formulation and implementation of food plan; Institutional mechanism of National Food Council, Provincial Food Council and Local Food Coordinating Committee should be set up, • Set up and strengthen institutional architecture at 3 spheres of government (based on Act, policy, strategies, etc). • Orientation to people’s representative, farmers and stakeholders about the act, policies and programs as well as Periodic review of policies and programs • Youth motivation programs, school feeding program link to make the food system sustainable, prioritization of local products. • Coordination mechanism to regulate the law and guidelines, strengthen governance and accountability. • Corporate- social responsibly of business and private sector to be linked to strengthen food system and university. • Distribute Below Poverty Level (BPL) card for reservation to living below poverty levels • Guarantee of food security and good governance through implementation of Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, • Managing the availability of essential food items to the ‘at-risk groups • Formulation of provincial Act and regulation. • Implementation of agricultural development programs related to sustainable food system. • Development of appropriate structure and mechanism for implementation of Act. • Implementation of agricultural development programs related to sustainable food systems. • Implement farmers’ identification card. • Strong legal coordination mechanism between local, provincial, and federal government. • Ensuring policy coherence in agriculture, food security and nutrition; build synergies among policies like MSNP, ADS, SDGs and other national plans based on the Act. • Orient stakeholders on the implementation of Act (preparation of regulations and budget). • Adequate financing to the Province and Local Governments based on their performance on the implementation of Act, and relevant policies. • Implementation of 15th Plan, Periodic Plans, and localization of SDGs with priority. • Invest on setting up a mechanism for systematic data collection, analysis, and management for strengthening the evidence-based policy making Read less

There was no marked observation on the areas of divergence.