Partnering and innovating for sustainable agriculture

The dialogue focused on addressing challenges through solutions in agriculture policy, innovation, partnership, with a special reference to issues related to yield, availability and deployment of agriculture inputs and technologies, effective research and development for farm-to-fork linkages, conserving natural resources, improved market linkages, how farming can be made more remunerative and productive and more.

“Agriculture is contributing to 20 per cent of Vietnam’s GDP, accounting for up to one quarter of the national exports revenue, and creating jobs for half of the workforce during the past decade. In Vietnam’s New Vision for Agriculture, the Vietnamese government has set agriculture as a core driver for economic growth and considers Sustainable Agriculture Development as a strategic priority,” said Dang Kim Son, general director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Dang Kim Son, general director of the Institute of  Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development

“Currently, state funding for agriculture remains modest while official development assistance resources are on the decrease in recent years while resources from private sector and individuals are also low. In these circumstances, the public private partnership (PPP) model can play an important role as it helps utilise resources from science and technology as well as the management experience of multi-national groups and corporations,” Son stressed. 

Jesus Madrazo, vice president of Corporate Engagement, Monsanto

Jesus Madrazo, vice president of Corporate Engagement, Monsanto, also member of the US-ASEAN Business Council said “Innovation has been proved as one of key elements to foster inclusive growth globally. Improved seeds with plant biotechnologies that produce more using fewer natural resources and improve farmers’ lives are an important tool in a small number of sustainable solutions to help farmers feed and clothe the world’s growing population.”

He cited the case of the Philippines where farmers have increased corn yields by 60 per cent using better seeds and crop management practices and rice farmers had yield increases from 5-15 per cent after enrolling in the national integrated pest management (IPM) programme.

Similarly, in India farmers have doubled cotton production within a decade using better seeds, technologies and farming practices.

“The suite of innovation in product and/or partnership options should be as broad as possible. This must be supported by policy that encourages innovation, competition, and investment in agriculture; an efficient and predictable regulatory process; and implementation of IP laws, so that Vietnamese farmers have access to the most innovative products and technologies, compete in globally, and make Vietnam sustainable in agriculture,” said Madrazo.

Dang Duy Dong, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment

It proves that in an ever-connected world facing the challenges of feeding a growing population, using stagnant or diminishing natural resources, managing the impact of climate change, and improving inclusive growth, no single institution can deliver maximum social, economic and environmental impact.

It takes new partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society groups. There are significant opportunities for all participants in the food and agriculture ecosystem to create public-private partnerships to enhance productivity and deliver inclusive green growth.

Natalie DiNicola, vice president of Sustainability & Signature Partnerships, Monsanto

“As the challenges in agriculture are bigger than any one country, government, company or NGO, it requires all players working together to help and Monsanto is committed to doing our part. Monsanto believe ‘Improving Agriculture Improves Lives’ and we are focused on innovation in products and practices, and partnerships – to enable farmers to improve lives by producing more and conserving more to achieve sustainable agriculture development in Vietnam,” said Natalie DiNicola, vice president of Sustainability & Signature Partnerships, Monsanto.

Monsanto has been partnering with Vietnamese farmers for over a decade: in 2013 with 800,000 corn farmers.            The company spent more than $1 million onto seed R&D to develop seeds suited to local agro-climatic conditions to enable farmers to increase corn productivity in line with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) goals.

The company is taking a PPP approach on the Rice-to-Corn Rotation Initiative by the MARD in Mekong Delta in partnership with farmers, local agriculture and the feed industry authorities.

Monsanto’s better seed, practices & market linkages helped 8,800 farmers in the Mekong Delta earn over $1 million incremental income and saved 80 per cent of time, cost and labour from 2,200 ha and 4,400 ha rice-to-corn rotation in 2013 and 2014, respectively, according to the Monsanto executive.