UEH Scientific Workshop Themed “Agri-Food Trade and Sustainability: Lessons and Solutions for a More Sustainable Mekong”

16 May, 2025

On May 15, 2025, at UEH Mekong, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) organized a scientific workshop with the theme "Agri-Food Trade and Sustainability: Lessons and Solutions for a More Sustainable Mekong". This workshop was part of the framework of the TRADE4SD project funded by the European Union, one of the key academic activities aimed at promoting initiatives and solutions for sustainable agricultural trade development in the Mekong Delta.

Attending the Workshop, on behalf of the guest side, were leaders of departments, divisions, and services of schools, enterprises, and banks from Vinh Long and Provinces in the Mekong Delta. On behalf of UEH, there was the participation of Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH; Dr. Tran Thi Tuan Anh - Vice Rector of CELG, UEH; Board of Management, leaders of units, lecturers, and students at UEH Mekong. On behalf of the international expert delegation from the TRADE4SD project research team, there were Prof. Dr. Attila Jambor - Dean of the Institute for Sustainable Development, Corvinus University; Prof. Dr. Benkhira ép. Fort - Expert at the Montpellier Agricultural Institute, France; and experts from the Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Council, Rome, Italy, including Dr. Federica Demaria - Principal investigator of the Economic Research Team; Dr. Roberto Henke - Research Director; Dr. Maria Rosaria Pupo D'Andrea - Senior Researcher; Dr. Ilenia Manetti and Dr. Massimo Fusillo - Researchers of the Council; and Dr. Hoang Van Viet - Principal investigator of the TRADE4SD project research team in Vietnam.

The workshop was honored to welcome more than 120 delegates. This large and diverse presence of delegates contributed to creating a vibrant atmosphere of academic exchange while expanding the connection network between stakeholders in the field of agricultural trade and sustainable development in the region.

Overview of the scientific workshop

Remarking at the opening of the workshop, Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH - stated: “The Mekong Delta is a strategic area for agricultural, food, and export development of the whole country. However, this region is facing many challenges like climate change, resource degradation, labor migration, and pressure from increasingly demanding export markets. UEH Mekong is identified as the strategic academic center of UEH in this region, with the goal of connecting global knowledge with local practices towards sustainable development. Today's workshop is part of that effort, within the framework of the TRADE4SD Project funded by the European Union. We expect that, through this forum, practical initiatives and solutions will be shared, spread, and connected, contributing to the process of restructuring the agricultural value chain and transforming the growth model in the Mekong Delta towards green, inclusive, and sustainable development. ”

Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH - delivering the opening speech at the Workshop

The workshop program was implemented throughout the day with 02 sessions in the morning and afternoon. Each session brought multi-dimensional perspectives and in-depth discussions revolving around the topic of agricultural trade and sustainable development in the Mekong Delta.

The plenary session (morning) chaired by Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh - President of UEH, Dr. Tran Thi Tuan Anh - Vice President of UEH and Dr. Hoang Van Viet - Head of the TRADE4SD project team in Vietnam provided practical sharing from the business community. The morning session consisted of many presentations of high academic content and profound practical value.

With the topic "Overview of objectives, methods and key findings of the TRADE4SD project in Vietnam", Prof. Dr. Attila Jambor - Dean of the Institute for Sustainable Development, Corvinus University, Hungary, introduced the strategic directions and initial results of the TRADE4SD project funded by the European Union. The presentation analyzed integrated research approaches, assessed the relationship between agricultural trade and sustainable development, and made recommendations to improve institutional quality and to encourage the application of responsible production and trade models in Vietnam.

Prof. Dr. Attila Jambor - Dean of the Institute of Sustainable Development, Corvinus University - presenting at the workshop

Following that, Dr. Ilenia Manetti - Economic Research Expert at the Council for Agricultural and Economic Research, Rome, Italy - presented the topic "Trade and Sustainability: Research on the value chains of Rice, Tea and Dragon Fruit in Vietnam ". The presentation provided a practical perspective on how 03 typical agricultural products of Vietnam participate in the global supply chain while reflecting the challenges in balancing the goal of trade growth and the requirements of sustainable development. Through analyzing the role of institutions, export standards, and the level of linkage between actors in the chain, the presentation raised the issue of the need to restructure the value chain towards more transparency, inclusiveness, and responsibility to enhance the position of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market. After the presentation, Dr. Federica Demaria, Head of the Economic Research Group, continued to bring another topic "The impact of contextual heterogeneity on the relationship between trade and sustainability: Lessons from case studies in Vietnam and Ghana". The presentation received special attention from many delegates, emphasizing that sustainable agricultural trade cannot be built on a common model; on the other hand, this needs to adapt to the conditions of each country and region. Differences in governance systems, farmer support mechanisms, and local socio-economic characteristics are key factors determining the effectiveness of sustainable trade policy implementation.

Dr. Ilenia Manetti - Economic Research Expert and Dr. Federica Demaria - Head of Economic Research Group - presenting at the workshop.

Following the presentations by experts, representatives of local businesses brought practical discussions, directly reflecting the efforts and initiatives being implemented in the field of sustainable agricultural trade.

The opening speech was on the topic “Innovation in production and linkage: Input feed for sustainable agricultural value chain” presented by Mr. Nguyen Tan Thu, General Director of PUTIN Animal Feed Company Limited. Mr. Nguyen Tan Thu shared the model of animal feed production according to safety standards and clear traceability, closely linked with partners in the supply chain. The speech emphasized the importance of local enterprises today in technological innovation, quality standardization, and business-farmer cooperation towards the development of an effective and environmentally friendly agricultural value chain. Next, Ms. Nguyen Kim Thanh, General Director of SA KY Food Joint Stock Company, showed her perspective on the topic “Challenges and recommendations to promote sustainable trade: The case of SAKY FOODS Import-Export Company”. At the workshop, Ms. Nguyen Kim Thanh highlighted the barriers that food exporters are currently facing, including the cost of sustainability certification, market fluctuations, and strict requirements from free trade agreements. She also proposed solutions like legal support to strengthen regional connectivity and to promote sustainable trade.

The final presentation of the morning session was delivered by Dr. Hoang Van Viet, Consultant of Van Thai Construction and Real Estate Trading Service Joint Stock Company (investor of PARC MALL) on the topic "Impact of sustainable and high-value trade on the local economy". At the workshop, Dr. Hoang Van Viet made valuable contributions and shared his experience in developing the PARC MALL model associated with the criteria of green-clean-sustainable towards creating a value chain for trade and promoting employment, increasing income, and improving the quality of life for local people. He emphasized the role of businesses in transforming sustainability standards into practical actions through infrastructure investment and a responsible consumption ecosystem. At the discussion session, delegates focused on exchanging and analyzing the latest research findings, as well as practical examples revolving around agricultural trade and sustainable development. Through the assessment of linkage models, institutional factors, and local contexts, the workshop provided an important basis for forecasting trends, identifying opportunities and challenges, and proposing solutions to improve the efficiency of agricultural trade in the integration period to promote the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta and the country in general.

Representatives of local businesses presenting their papers

UEH representative presenting souvenirs to the speakers

In the afternoon session, under the moderation of Prof. Dr. Attila Jambor, Dr. Federica Demaria, Dr. Roberto Henke, and Dr. Hoang Van Viet, the discussion session opened a forum for open exchange between international experts and domestic scholars. The afternoon session was organized as a roundtable discussion revolving around the topic "How to make trade and trade agreements more sustainable, especially for the Mekong Delta". The discussion session attracted the active participation of Prof. Dr. Attila Jambor and delegates, focusing on analyzing the role of local institutions, the requirements for transparency in trade governance, as well as the urgent needs for technical and financial support for farmers and small-scale enterprises - important links in the process of realizing sustainable trade in this region.

The moderators participated in the round table discussion.

Closing the discussion, Dr. Hoang Van Viet presented the topic “The importance of different local institutional arrangements for the participation of farmers and traders in sustainable activities in Vietnam”. Through the discussion, it can be stated that local institutions play a decisive role in realizing the goals of sustainable trade. Designing flexible policies suitable to the conditions of each region will encourage active participation from production and business entities, making practical contributions to the overall sustainable development process.

Dr. Hoang Van Viet - Head of the TRADE4SD project research team in Vietnam - presenting at the workshop

Delegates attending discussions and exchanges with speakers

The scientific workshop with the theme: “Agri-Food Trade and Sustainability: Lessons and Solutions for a More Sustainable Mekong” was successfully held, creating an open, multi-dimensional, and practical academic space. Through in-depth presentations and roundtable discussions, the workshop contributed to clarifying the relationship between agricultural trade and sustainable development, especially in the context of the Mekong Delta region facing many environmental, economic, and social challenges. The research results and discussions at the workshop brought practical contributions to policy orientation and sustainable development solutions for Vietnam in general, especially for the Mekong Delta in particular - the land that plays a strategic role in food security and the agricultural economy of the country.