From January 14 to 16, 2025, the EcoFoodSystems project proudly participated in the DeSIRA Connect Days: Asia and the Pacific, hosted in Hanoi, Vietnam. This event, part of the European Union’s Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) initiative, served as a platform to exchange lessons learned from project implementation and identify critical factors to sustain and scale innovation trajectories.
The DeSIRA Connect Days event showcased the institutional strengthening potential of its projects by bringing together diverse stakeholders, including research organizations, farmer-led initiatives, policymakers, civil society organizations, and the private sector. Key activities included a project fair for showcasing initiatives, thematic workshops for inter-project learning, and stakeholder round tables to drive ongoing innovation efforts.
At the project fair, Hoang The Ky, a Vietnamese researcher with the EcoFoodSystems project, highlighted the project’s objectives, key stakeholders, research priorities, and partnership-based approach. Ky underscored the project’s alignment with the event’s central themes:
“Our EcoFoodSystems project aligns closely with several key themes emphasized at this event. Firstly, our project fosters collaboration with local farmers and communities to advance sustainable food systems innovations. Secondly, by exploring agricultural practices and market linkages, EcoFoodSystems contributes to discussions on how food systems can drive innovation and ecological transitions. Lastly, the project aims to inform policymaking by building partnerships across regions, aligning with sessions on scaling innovation, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and policy development. This event provides an invaluable opportunity to share insights, learn from other DESIRA initiative projects, and work together to enhance efforts toward more sustainable food systems in the Hanoi city region.”
Another significant contribution was made by Duong Thu Hang, Good Food for Cities (GF4C) programme officer at Rikolto, who participated in Panel 3 of the event, exploring food systems as catalysts for innovation. The panel delved into the trade, processing, and consumption of agricultural produce, examining their economic and social dimensions to identify pathways for scaling DeSIRA innovations. In particular, Hang shared insights on promoting consumer access to healthy food in wet markets and schools in city regions.
She noted: “I think what the EcoFoodSystems Project and the overall DeSIRA programme emphasise is diversity. Embracing diversity in actors, key themes, and perspectives. People from different backgrounds and sectors come together to discuss shared topics related to health, agriculture, environment, diets, gender, equity, and more. The EcoFoodSystems project can contribute meaningfully to DeSIRA, moving closer to the goal of transitioning towards sustainable, affordable, and healthier diets in city regions.”
The EcoFoodSystems project, funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) under the DeSIRA Initiative (Grant Ref: FOOD/2021/428-851), is managed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through a grant agreement with the University of Galway. The project is implemented in collaboration with Rikolto (Vietnam) and Wageningen University and Research(WUR), with support from the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) and the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA).
The DeSIRA Connect Days event offered a dynamic platform for the EcoFoodSystems project to connect with other projects and food systems stakeholders, share knowledge, and explore opportunities to scale innovative solutions for more sustainable food systems in Vietnam and beyond.
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