Viet Nam commits to achieve #ZeroHunger in Viet Nam by 2025

Zero Hunger and Viet Nam

The "Zero Hunger" initiative was originally launched by the United Nations Secretary and was established as the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2) on ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Regarding the Zero Hunger initiative, Viet Nam is one of the countries with remarkable achievements in reducing the number of hungry and poor people. However, some gaps such as child malnutrition rate remains high, based on the WHO classification. Particularly, stunting–form malnutrition rate is high especially in provinces mainly in the Central Highlands, North Central Region and Northern mountainous region. Therefore, through the National Action Plan, Viet Nam aims to decrease the existing gaps and improve the food security and nutrition aspect of the country.

National Action Plan on Zero Hunger in Viet Nam by 2025

Co-chaired by Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of MARD, and Dr. Albert T. Lieberg, FAO Viet Nam Representative, the ISG Plenary Meeting 2018 celebrated the declaration of the National Action Plan on Zero Hunger in Viet Nam by 2025 and call for the cooperation and support from international partners and related ministries/agencies.

About 200 participants from the ministries, government bodies, international community, NGOs, research institutes, enterprises, media, and corporations joined to celebrate a milestone moment for Viet Nam's Zero Hunger commitment.

The National Action Plan (NAP) aims to provide enough food and nutrition for people in order to enhance Vietnamese people's health, intelligence and stature; and, at the same time, implement SDG 2 to which the Government has committed with the UN.

Under the main objective, NAP aims to achieve 5 targets by 2025;

1. Households will have enough food with sufficient nutrition all year round
2. Under-2 child malnutrition will be reduced with following specific targets:
3. Sustainable food systems will be developed
4. Most of smallholders' yield and income will increase
5. Food will not be lost or wasted.

*for detailed targets and activities, please request for the booklet introducing activities for the Zero Hunger Initiative in Vietnam and the National Action Plan.

As agriculture and nutrition often cross-cut different sectors and require diverse expertise, a complex action plan targeting different levels ranging from policy to grass-root stakeholders will be implemented by different ministries. With MARD taking the lead, Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Health (MOH), The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC), Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) will implement NAP activities to achieve Zero Hunger. Provincial Governments such as the Provincial-level People's Committees and related departments will also play a vital role in NAP implementation.

"Agricultural production is the most effective solution to implement Zero Hunger Initiative and reduce poverty." said Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong. "There is an idiom in Vietnam that says 'together we can change the world'. Therefore, on behalf of the National Steering Committee on Zero hunger, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, I would like to call all ministries and agencies; international organizations; local and foreign enterprises; experts and volunteers for a joint effort to reach the goal Zero Hunger by 2025."

"As a specialized agency of the United Nations with the clear mandate to address hunger and poverty, FAO has been taking lead in undertaking the global Sustainable Food and Agriculture program to directly or indirectly contribute to the Zero Hunger goal," said Dr. Albert T. Lieberg, The Representative of FAO Viet Nam. "Achieving food security requires an integrated and holistic approach and we believe that, with inter-sectoral collaboration and partnership, the Vietnamese people will surely be best supported in understanding the importance of Zero hunger goal in all its manifestations and promoting the National Action Plan, so that hunger can be eliminated in our lifetimes, and possibly forever.