US-ASEAN Business Council Delegation Strengthens Ties with Vietnamese Agricultural Agencies

(Hanoi, Vietnam) – The US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) successfully organized a delegation comprising five prominent U.S. food and agriculture companies for a series of meetings with key Vietnamese agricultural officials in Hanoi August 15-16, 2023.

During this mission, the US-ABC delegates emphasized the significance of food security, food safety, animal health, innovative agri-technologies, and sustainable agriculture solutions as crucial areas of focus for U.S. agricultural business in Vietnam.

The delegation’s engagements included the Agricultural Counselor of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, the Director General for the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), the Director General for the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA), and the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Economic Affairs.

Additionally, the delegation met with the Minister for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Minister appraised US-ABC member’s support to Vietnam sustainable and innovative agriculture development and encouraged to continuously involve in improving regulatory environment in this sector. The two parties also extensively discussed about the progress of the implementation the Memorandum of Understanding and prepared to renew and expand the area of collaboration for 2023 and beyond.

The mission exemplified the robust agricultural bond between the United States and Vietnam, underscoring the commitment of both nations to enhance bilateral collaboration within the industry.

After the mission concluded, the Council held a Food & Agriculture workshop designed to promote food safety and innovation towards a more sustainable agriculture in Vietnam.

The delegation was led by the Council’s Food & Agriculture Committee Chair, Elanco Animal Health along with Committee Vice Chair, Cargill. The other delegates included MSD Animal Health, Corteva and Tilleke & Gibbins.