Since 1993, ACIAR has collaborated with Vietnam to reduce poverty and empower smallholder farming communities to modernise agricultural practices. As Australia and Vietnam enter into a new comprehensive strategic partnership, ACIAR investment will play a growing role in future research collaborations between the two countries.
Over the last 30 years, ACIAR has collaborated with Vietnam on more than 260 research projects, investing over $A184 million. This partnership has significantly contributed to Vietnam's goals of reducing poverty, empowering smallholder farmers, creating new industries and modernising its agriculture.
Today, Vietnam is planning to become one of the world's leading food producers by 2050, focusing on efficient, environmentally friendly practices and quality.
In 2024, Australia and Vietnam elevated the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking the highest level of diplomatic relations after 50 years of collaboration. ACIAR continues to play a crucial role in enhancing this cooperation, particularly in agricultural research.
The Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, HE Andrew Goledzinowski, highlighted the efficiency of the ACIAR-Vietnam partnership, noting that every dollar invested by ACIAR has generated A$90 in value. This equates to more than A$16 billion in benefits for Vietnamese farmers, particularly smallholders. He also emphasised that the relationship has evolved from a donor-recipient dynamic to a genuine partnership where both sides contribute and benefit.
As Vietnam transitions to a high middle-income country with the ambition of developed agriculture, aiming at ‘ecological agriculture, modern countryside, and civilised farmers’, it still faces many challenges, such as climate change, fragmented production and an aging rural labour force. ACIAR CEO Professor Wendy Umberger, during her visit to Vietnam in May 2024, noted the shared challenges between Australia and Vietnam, particularly regarding climate change impacts on agriculture.
‘With a long coastline, Vietnam is witnessing significant changes and increasing impacts from climate change, such as drought, salinity intrusion and overexploitation of underground water. These issues lead to emerging diseases severely impacting rice, vegetables and fruits,’ said Professor Umberger.
‘ACIAR is committed to supporting Vietnam in these areas, while enhancing mutual benefits for both countries. Vietnam and Australia are world exporters of agricultural products so there are great opportunities for collaboration and learning.’
Vietnam is striving to establish a world-class agriculture industry by 2050 capable of supplying premium markets and ensuring rural living standards are on par with urban areas. These advances in food production will come primarily from agronomy improvements, guaranteeing high-quality products for exporting, reducing methane emissions from rice and maintaining forests.
These objectives are aligned with the current ACIAR–Vietnam strategy, which focuses on helping the smallholder agriculture sector become more commercial and increasing private sector partnerships with farmers and researchers.
ACIAR will continue to invest strategically in Vietnam, focusing on geographical locations where Australian expertise can be best utilised, with Northwest Region, the Central Highlands Region, and the Mekong River Delta Region being the current priority areas. Climate change significantly affects these regions, with disproportionate negative impacts on smallholder farmers and rural communities.
‘While our focus is on addressing the pressing challenges facing these regions, we also aim to engage more women and cooperatives in sustainable agriculture production. These actors can spread research outcomes faster and more coherently, ensuring profits return to the community,’ said Professor Umberger.
On 7 March 2024, Professor Wendy Umberger and Vietnam's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Le Minh Hoan signed a 5-year agreement focused on sustainable agricultural development and enhancing mutual respect and collaboration. A subsequent Partnership Dialogue co-hosted by ACIAR and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) discussed future research priorities and strategic collaboration.
Vietnam's Vice Minister of MARD, Dr Phung Duc Tien, co-chaired the dialogue and emphasised Vietnam’s commitment to working with ACIAR on strategic and scalable research for green growth and multi-value agricultural development.
The new MoU and ongoing practices highlight ACIAR's commitment to equal partnership and effective collaboration. During the dialogue, case studies and insights were shared, emphasising Vietnam-led partnerships, co-funding, research priorities and the importance of capacity development.
The ACIAR Vietnam Country Office has been working closely with its research partners, particularly MARD, to develop new research partnerships.
In 2024-25, in addition to more than 20 existing projects, ACIAR will invest in 8 new research initiatives totalling more than A$8 million. These projects include addressing bottlenecks in grouper value chains, scoping sustainable citrus industry development, and digital monitoring and quality assurance of VietGAP in fruit chains.
A key feature of the ACIAR-Vietnam relationship has been investment in developing scientific and policy capabilities, which not only builds technical expertise in Vietnam but also benefits Australia. For example, the knowledge and experience gained through ACIAR-funded projects can help Australia prepare for pests and diseases it has yet to encounter.
Regarding research leadership, many heads of agencies and senior figures in Vietnam are ACIAR alumni who have completed scholarships, such as John Allwright, Meryl Williams and John Dillon fellowships.
Ambassador Goledzinowski said Australian support for agricultural research in Vietnam will also aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming, particularly methane from rice fields in the Mekong Delta.
'Now our focus is very much on climate change mitigation. Looking at the situation in the Mekong Delta region, we are trying to improve the situation of smallholder farmers in the lower income brackets,’ said Ambassador Goledzinowski.
‘We aim to improve their systems to get products to market and ensure they earn the maximum amount of money. We also want to improve equality and equity so that all farmers and all communities in Vietnam benefit equally.’
Learn more about ACIAR investment in Vietnam.
30 years of ACIAR connecting Australian expertise with Vietnamese scientists to tackle specific challenges and seize opportunities for Vietnam’s agriculture and rural development.
Agricultural research leaders from ACIAR and Vietnam met in Hanoi yesterday to discuss Vietnam's future research and development priorities.
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) was awarded the Friendship Order from the Vietnam Government in Hanoi today — the country's most prestigious award for foreign organisations and recognises more than 25 years of partnership that has supported Vietnam’s agricultural and rural development.
