Signing ceremony of the Cooperation Program between the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the 2021 - 2025 period.

Against the backdrop of mounting global challenges posed by climate change, resource depletion, greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements and increasingly stringent international market standards, Vietnam’s agriculture is under growing pressure to fundamentally transform its growth model. Digital transformation, green growth, the circular economy and ecological agriculture are no longer emerging trends but have become essential requirements for improving quality, increasing added value and strengthening the competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products.

Achieving these objectives requires not only the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, effective state management and the active participation of enterprises and cooperatives, but also recognizes farmers as the central actors in the transformation process. This principle is consistently emphasized in Resolution No.19-NQ/TW of the Party Central Committee on agriculture, farmers and rural development.

Responding to these practical demands, the Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now MAE) and VNFU for the 2021 - 2025 period has become an important bridge, bringing the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies closer to farmers while laying the foundation for digital and green transformation across the agricultural sector.

From policy communication to accompanying farmers

One of the program’s most notable achievements has been the comprehensive renewal of communication methods and content. Rather than simply disseminating policies and regulations, communication efforts have evolved toward guiding and accompanying farmers, helping them transform their development mindset.

Through the nationwide Farmers’ Union system, more than 10 million lượt (participations) of members and farmers receive information each year on the Party’s guidelines, State policies and laws, and technical knowledge supporting agricultural production. In 2025 alone, more than 10.38 million participations were recorded.

Several high-impact initiatives have become important dialogue platforms between government agencies and farmers, including the forum “The Minister of Agriculture and Environment and the President Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union Listen to Farmers”, the Prime Minister’s Dialogue with Farmers, the Outstanding Farmers Competition, and forums on digital transformation and agricultural entrepreneurship.

The forum “The Minister of Agriculture and Environment and the Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union Listen to Farmers.”

Through these activities, farmers have gradually shifted their mindset from “agricultural production” to “agricultural economics,” placing greater emphasis on product quality, efficiency, food safety, traceability and sustainable development rather than production volume alone.

The image of the modern Vietnamese farmer is becoming increasingly well defined: knowledgeable, professionally skilled, proactive in applying science and technology, and capable of adapting quickly to market demands.

Supporting collective economic development and value chain linkages

Beyond communication activities, the cooperation program has made important contributions to promoting the collective economy, agricultural cooperatives and production linkages.

During the 2021 - 2025 period, nearly 900.000 members and farmers joined cooperative groups and cooperatives. With direct support from the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, thousands of cooperative groups and more than 300 agricultural cooperatives were newly established.

A distinctive feature of the program is that its support extends beyond organizational establishment to improving the quality and effectiveness of cooperative operations. Efforts have focused on developing concentrated raw-material production areas, promoting professional Farmers’ Branches and Professional Farmers’ Groups associated with OCOP products, rural tourism and enterprise partnerships.

These models are helping reorganize agricultural production in a more professional manner, increase the added value of agricultural products, create jobs, raise farmers’ incomes and gradually build a modern agricultural sector.

Enhancing the quality of rural human resources

Training and capacity building for Farmers’ Union members have been among the key priorities jointly implemented by the two organizations.

Each year, more than 1,5 million participations of members and farmers attend training courses. In 2025 alone, approximately 1,55 million participations were recorded, together with nearly 3.000 technical demonstration models.

Training content has been continuously updated to incorporate digital skills, agricultural business management, e-commerce, product traceability, safe production, ecological agriculture and climate change adaptation.

These efforts provide an important foundation for developing a new generation of professional farmers equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to adopt advanced technologies, master production processes and participate more effectively in agricultural value chains.

Accelerating digital transformation and green agriculture

Since 2024, digital transformation and green transformation have become central priorities of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Vietnam Farmers’ Union.

The two sides have jointly implemented numerous initiatives to support farmers in applying digital technologies in production management, establishing planting area codes, improving product traceability and expanding e-commerce participation. At the same time, they have promoted circular agriculture, organic farming, low-emission production models and climate-resilient agricultural practices.

In particular, pilot models for high-quality, low-emission rice production in the Mekong Delta have produced encouraging initial results by reducing production costs, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing product value and improving farmers’ incomes.

High-quality, low-emission rice production model in the Mekong Delta.

Nevertheless, digital and green transformation remain relatively new fields. Technology adoption remains uneven across localities, while many farmers and cooperatives continue to face limitations in technological capacity. In addition, digital infrastructure and agricultural data systems have yet to fully meet development needs.

These challenges underscore the need for stronger coordination among relevant agencies and organizations to help farmers access new technologies, improve management capacity, expand market opportunities and gradually develop the ability to manage agricultural data effectively.

Keeping farmers at the center of agricultural transformation

For the 2026 - 2031 period, the MAE and VNFU have agreed to comprehensively renew the content and methods of their cooperation, making digital transformation, green transformation, the circular economy and sustainable agriculture the overarching direction of their partnership.

Accordingly, both sides will continue strengthening communication and awareness-raising efforts, building a professional farming workforce, developing modern, digital and green cooperatives, and expanding the application of digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and blockchain in production management, product traceability and market connectivity.

They will also continue promoting ecological, organic, circular and low-emission agricultural models, building an integrated agricultural data ecosystem and supporting climate-resilient production systems that enhance product value and improve farmers’ incomes.

At the same time, regular dialogue forums between leaders of the MAE, leaders of the VNFU, and farmers will continue to serve as important channels for listening to farmers’ concerns and aspirations, promptly addressing practical challenges, improving policy mechanisms and enhancing the effectiveness of state management in agriculture.

In this new stage of development, Vietnamese farmers are no longer simply agricultural producers. They are increasingly becoming key actors in a modern agricultural economy, mastering knowledge, technology, data and markets.

Through the close partnership between MAE and VNFU, together with the active participation of enterprises, cooperatives and society as a whole, Vietnam’s agriculture is expected to continue developing along ecological, modern, low-emission and sustainable pathways. Rural areas will become increasingly prosperous and civilized, while the material and spiritual well-being of Farmers’ Union members and farmers will continue to improve.