A seminar was held in Hanoi on June 28 to discuss food security in
Vietnam , the current situation and policies and future prospects.
This was a joint event between the Institute of
Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD)
and the World Bank (WB).
Dang Kim Son, the head of
IPSARD, said that to ensure food security in a sustainable manner,
Vietnam needs a plan to protect its paddy fields.
Son added that with 3 million ha of paddy fields, Vietnam can easily
ensure its own food security and have enough left over to export.
However, more agricultural land is needed, so the acreage will be
expanded to 3.8 million ha by 2020 to provide the country with a safety
net.
According to Steven Jaffee, the coordinator of
the WB’s Rural Development Department in Vietnam, the WB will help the
Vietnamese government to define its strategy and policies on rice in an
effective and sustainable manner as well as alternative models of
production and future scenarios until 2030.-VNA