Improving Food Safety for Economic Growth in Vietnam

The project aims to improve food safety regulation and enforcement in Vietnam increase competitiveness of poor farmers and other actors supplying safe agri-food products and increase consumer demand for safe and affordable agri-food. The key beneficiaries include key government ministries at national and sub-national levels the private sector and Vietnamese smallholder farmers and consumers both locally and internationally. The project operates at all stages of the agri-food value chains by engaging three main target groups: (1) the public sector (enabling environment); (2) the private sector (supply side); and (3) the consumer (demand side). Project activities include: (1) proving support to the public sector in the area of technical assistance to support institutional reforms and improve policy and operational coordination of government food safety responsibilities at the national and sub-national levels; (2) providing training and equipment to improve food testing capacity in support of the food safety inspection system; and training and equipment to apply a risk-based approach to food safety; (3) supporting the private sector in the area of a gender-responsive technical assistance on good agricultural practices proper use of chemicals food handling packaging and labeling; (4) strengthening exporter training in international food safety and quality standards; technical assistance training and materials for improved traceability of agri-food products; and facilitation of increased application of innovative approaches technologies and practices amongst entrepreneurs; and (5) proving support in the area of consumer education with a focus on civil society including women’s organizations to demand safe food; media engagement on food safety issues; and support for the publication of an annual State of Food Safety reports.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved performance of national and sub-national governments in food safety regulation enforcement to meet international standards along the value chain; (2) increased competitiveness of poor farmers and other actors supplying safe agri-food products to domestic and international markets; and (3) increased consumer demand for safe and affordable agri-food in Vietnam.