Food Smart Cities in Vietnam: healthy, sustainable and nutritious food for all

Urban food environments and food supply chains in at least 2 large cities in Vietnam are more inclusive, resilient, and enabling healthy, sustainable and nutritious diets (HSN) for all citizens, especially women, youth and vulnerable groups. The aim of this Food Smart Cities programme in Vietnam is to make food supply chains in at least 2 cities in Vietnam more inclusive, make farmer organisations and their members more resilient, and enable healthy, sustainable and nutritious diets (HSN) for all citizens, especially women, youth and vulnerable groups. The intervention strategy for this goal consists of three key pillars: sustainable food production, inclusive markets and an enabling environment. The activities undertaken under these three pillars will include training of trainers in regenerative agriculture and Good Agricultural Practices, to enhance resilience; professionalising farmers and farmer (business) organisations (FBOs); and contributing to the emergence of inclusive businesses – many of which run by women and youth – through training, coaching and incubation. MSMEs and FBOs will be supported through business developments services delivered by organisations and companies that will also be strengthened as part of the programme. Their services will result in stronger existing and new enterprises and enable them to position themselves as key actors in short and efficient supply chains of healthy, sustainable and nutritious food to cities. Urban consumers, including vulnerable groups, will be targeted by stimulating schools, public kitchens and markets to source healthy, sustainable and nutritious food at an affordable price. Multi-stakeholder platforms with different members, including government, civil society, business and academia, a.o. will co-create policies and implement business strategies towards systemic change in the food systems of the target cities, supported by local and international learning experiences. Ultimately, the programme aims to cocreate, test and document sustainable food sourcing models for Vietnamese cities and to leverage them to encourage influential “upscalers” (businesses, government) to invest in their replication.