FAO Programmes

Since their initiation in Vietnam, the FAO Country Programmes have evolved from supporting a number of individual projects towards providing advice to the Government in the formulation of agricultural and rural development policies. Our Programmes are underpinned by the understanding that the economic, social and environmental challenges of rural areas require a comprehensive approach in planning and implementation.

Currently, our priority is the prevention and control of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (“HPAI”) epidemic. FAO’s Avian Influenza Programme (“AI”) supports the improvement of veterinary services and the capacity to address issues of prevention, surveillance and control of the disease with significant contributions from USAID, the Government of Japan and the UN Joint Programme. The AI Programme entails the provision of technical assistance in supporting the formulation of national strategies and policies. The Programme aims at facilitating the development of long-term solutions towards safer, more efficient poultry production, including the revision of the respective policy and institutional framework and improved bio-security. An additional objective is the mainstreaming of the issues of livelihoods and the socio-economic implications of the HPAI epidemic in planning and implementation. 

Integarated Pest Management (“IPM”) is another ongoing and markedly successful FAO Country Programme. The IPM Programme was launched in Vietnam in 1992 with the aim of strengthening the skills and knowledge of small-scale farmers in making better-informed decisions in the management of their crop production systems. The IPM Programme in Vietnam and the related Farmer Field School (“FFS”) are yielding demonstrable benefits for the participants and are being replicated by the FAO across other Southeast Asian countries.

With respect to Fisheries and Forestry, the principal FAO projects in Vietnam are the Integrated Management of Lagoon Activities (“IMOLA”) in Thua Thien Hue and the Market-Oriented Agroforestry (“MOA”) in Quang Nam. The IMOLA Programme seeks to improve the livelihoods of the people dependent on the lagoon system. FAO provides advice and assistance to the Fisheries Department of the local government in the formulation and implementation of a strategy for sustainable lagoon management. In tandem, smaller-scale FAO projects were launched in supporting local fisheries to expand their access to regional and international fish markets, whilst recognising the needs of the fisheries industry in relation to food safety standards and WTO compliance.

The objective of the MOA Programme is assisting the Government of Vietnam in its reforestation scheme by supporting the development of environmentally sound and profitable agroforestry and forest management systems for the benefit of the rural population in the respective province.

REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries - is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. The Department of Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, supported in their efforts by the UN-REDD programme, are making rapid progress towards ensuring that Viet Nam is “REDD-ready”. Please click to read all information about UN-REDD Programme for Vietnam


At the international level, FAO facilitates the participation of the Government of Vietnam in the South-South Cooperation initiative. This is intended to encourage the transfer of technical expertise from more advanced developing countries to targeted recipient countries that are members of the Special Programme for Food Security (“SPFS”). Indeed, under this initiative Vietnam has supplied experts and field technicians to several countries in Africa.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned five major programmes and initiatives, the FAO in Vietnam is involved in a wide range of activities, notably including the Prevention and Control of Diseases of Epidemic Potential, Transboundary Animal Disease (“TAD”), capacity building in natural resources management and rice production for food security as well as socio-economic issues, primarily the UN Joint Programme on Gender.