IFAD Associate Vice President Donal Brown

Mr. Donal Brown made the announcement ahead of his working visit to Viet Nam from April 14-17 to strengthen partnerships for rural development and spotlight the transformative role of innovation in global food systems.

By empowering farmers and investing in emerging technologies, IFAD, an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations exclusively dedicated to transforming agriculture can build a resilient future that uplifts communities and transforms lives across Viet Nam and beyond.

During his visit, Mr. Brown will have a courtesy call to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and hold meetings with senior government officials — including representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, to discuss advancing shared goals for sustainable and inclusive rural development.

"Viet Nam is a trailblazer in using innovation to overcome agricultural challenges," Mr. Brown said.

"Our partnership is about scaling that success—ensuring smallholder farmers are equipped to meet the future with resilience, technology, and market access that leaves no one behind."

His visit coincides with the 2025 P4G Ha Noi Summit, which is taking place from April 14-17 at the National Convention Center in Ha Noi.

The summit, themed "Global Partnership for an Inclusive, Sustainable, Innovative, and Human-Centric Green Transition," brings together global leaders to tackle climate and development challenges through collaboration and innovation.

Specficially, on April 17, Mr. Brown will be a key speaker at the Ministerial Panel Discussion on "Going in Line with Green Revolution 4.0: Journey of Food System Transformation for a Sustainable Age." The IFAD Associate Vice-President will underscore the need for bold and strategic investments to address global food insecurity and climate change. The Green Revolution 4.0 is not just about technology—it's about transformation. It's about connecting farmers to solutions that work for them: drought-resistant crops, precision farming, smart irrigation, and digital tools that optimize production. But innovation is only half the battle. It must be inclusive, accessible, and scalable to truly succeed. Smallholder farmers—who grow much of the world's food—must be at the center of this revolution. Without them, there is no global food system.

As part of the visit, Mr. Brown will travel to Bac Kan province to observe IFAD's work in building sustainable value chains. At the Viet Nam Misaki Company in Cho Moi District, supported by IFAD's Commercial Smallholder Support Project (CSSP), he will witness how smallholder farmers are adopting innovative approaches to improve their livelihoods and build climate resilience.

A IFAD's invested project on smart insect minitoring network in Ben Tre province - Illustration photo

The fruitful and enduring Partnership IFAD's partnership with Viet Nam has spaned over three decades, with joint efforts significantly improving rural livelihoods and reducing poverty.

More than 800,000 rural people in Viet Nam have benefited from IFAD-supported projects, which have helped smallholder farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices, improve access to markets, and enhance resilience to climate change.

These projects have also focused on empowering women and youth, ensuring that vulnerable populations are included in the country's progress toward sustainable development./.