Grow Asia, an entity established by the World Economic Forum and the ASEAN Secretariat to build partnerships for more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture of Vietnam (PSAV), a body under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) overseeing value chain development of key agricultural commodities
The agreement will allow both parties to strengthen collaboration and deliver on national and regional priorities for food systems transformation. Under the new agreement, the two organisations will collaborate to deliver results in four main areas:
1. Driving the adoption of climate-smart technology and farmer-centric digital solutions, with support from Grow Asia’s Agri-Food Innovation flagship programme
2. Integrating gender-inclusive approaches, supported by Grow Asia’s Women’s Economic Empowerment flagship programme
3. Developing policies and best practice on inclusive finance for businesses and governments, supported by Grow Asia’s Responsible Investing flagship programme
4. Accelerating climate change adaptation and knowledge transfer, supported by Grow Asia’s Climate Change Resilience flagship programme
The signing of the MoU formalises and strengthens the ongoing relationship between the two organisations, building on seven years of partnership and cooperation. The MoU also paves the way for the establishment of ASEAN’s first Food Innovation Hub to be launched in the coming months in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. The agreement will allow Grow Asia and PSAV to mobilise additional public and private sector investment for the co-development of multi-stakeholder case studies, research projects, and value chain programmes that are designed to boost the economic value of Vietnam’s vital agricultural sector while supporting the development of sustainable and climate-smart food systems.
“Vietnam’s agricultural sector serves not just the 100 million Vietnamese but is also among the top 15 agricultural exporters in the world, reaching 190 countries. The new global economy demands agricultural outputs to be produced responsibly, especially in preserving biodiversity and reducing emissions to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change”, said Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I believe with coordinated efforts from both public and private spheres, and with the support of important regional delivery mechanisms such as Grow Asia, Vietnam can overcome challenges that come with being an emerging economy and truly champion sustainability in our agricultural sector”.
Beverley Postma, Executive Director of Grow Asia commented, “We commend the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture of Vietnam for laying a solid foundation for successful multi-stakeholder partnerships in ASEAN. Together, we can confidently scale high-value projects and build impactful national and regional pathways through the power of public-private collaboration in Vietnam and beyond.”
