On July 15, 2025, in Hanoi, a high-level interregional dialogue will bring together ministers and senior officials from 14 African countries and 3 Asian countries. This meeting, jointly organized by the Vietnamese government and the FAO, aims to identify and promote innovative approaches to make food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. It responds to the urgent challenges posed by persistent hunger, malnutrition, and poverty on both continents.
A Strategic Framework Based on FAO’s “Four Betters”
This forum is part of the FAO’s strategic vision known as the “Four Betters”: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all. The goal is to guide agricultural policies and practices toward a sustainable transformation that integrates food production with ecosystem preservation. This vision highlights the need to balance economic performance and environmental responsibility.
The OCOP Model: A Vietnamese Example Supporting Rural Development
At the meeting, the OCOP (“One Commune, One Product”) model, inspired by the Vietnamese initiative launched in 2018, will be highlighted. This program promotes local products with strong geographic or cultural identities, stimulates rural economies, and strengthens agro-food value chains. The model serves as inspiration for African and Asian countries seeking to boost rural production while fostering economic inclusion.
Food systems in Africa and Asia face demographic, economic, environmental, and social megatrends that threaten their sustainability. In Africa, for instance, transforming food systems is crucial to ensuring future food security given rapid population growth, especially among youth. It is also imperative to integrate climate-resilient and environmentally friendly practices through agroecological transitions and support for local farming.
Partnerships, Financing, and Innovation: Essential Levers
Cooperation among FAO, governments, international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, and the private sector plays a key role in sustainably transforming food systems. These partnerships facilitate the mobilization of public and private investments, infrastructure development, and the adoption of innovative technologies like digital agriculture and nature-based solutions, essential for building resilience to climate and geopolitical shocks.
A Continental and Intercontinental Approach for a Sustainable Future
This Africa-Asia dialogue marks a major step in creating an intercontinental platform for exchanging expertise and best practices. By combining Vietnamese experiences, African initiatives, and international technical support, this cooperation aims to accelerate the transformation of food systems, improve nutritional security, and create sustainable economic opportunities for rural populations on both continents.
Thus, this interregional dialogue offers a new dynamic to rethink and strengthen food systems in a sustainable, inclusive, and ambitious framework, in response to global challenges of food security, climate change, and economic development.
