Vietnam acts to eliminate hunger by 2025

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong has called on all ministries, sectors, international organisations, domestic and foreign businesses, experts, and volunteers to join hands in working towards a Vietnam free of hunger by 2025.

Cuong made the call while attending the International Support Group (ISG) Plenary Meeting 2018, during which the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) launched the Action Plan on “Zero Hunger” in Vietnam by 2025.

The Zero Hunger Challenge was launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2012, with the five components of “All Food Systems are Sustainable: From Production to Consumption”, “An End to Rural Poverty: Double Small-scale Producer Incomes & Productivity”, “Adapt All Food Systems to Eliminate Food Loss or Waste”, “Access to Adequate Food and Healthy Diets for all People, all Year Round”, and “An End to Malnutrition in all its forms”.

Vietnam has attained significant achievements in alleviating poverty and hunger so far, however, it has still failed to reduce the malnutrition rate among children in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s standards. In particular, the ratio of children with stunted growth problems remains high in the northern mountainous region, the north central region, and the Central Highlands.

Through the action plan, Vietnam will work to enhance food security and improve nutritional standards.

Cuong said that this is a consistent priority and ultimate goal of Vietnam, who has a good enough production capacity to ensure food security.

“However, as a nation hard hit by climate change, Vietnam should pay due attention to food security and the fight against poverty”, he stressed.

According to FAO Representative in Vietnam Albert T. Lieberg, in a bid to realise the sustainable development goal on poverty reduction and food security, Vietnam needs to develop effective agriculture models. The agricultural sector should have a rational approach to assure food security, nutrition, as well as a resilient production system which is able to adapt to climate change.

Sound coordination among competent authorities will also help to raise public awareness of the “zero hunger” target, and promote the action plan to erase hunger in the country, he added.