Over 50 international and local researchers gathered in Hanoi on December 7th to discuss measures of further improving research on and application of agroforestry models in Vietnam.

The Agroforestry National Workshop - the first of its type to be held in Vietnam - was another effort of ICRAF Vietnam to strengthen and increase the current network of foreign and local researchers in a bid to better ensure Vietnam's food security, natural resources conservation and environmental protection.

The event was jointly hosted by the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), which is one of various national research partners working with ICRAF Vietnam.

At the workshop, participants shared knowledge and experiences in agroforestry, presented effective agroforestry systems that are currently applied in different places around the world and across Vietnam. Local researchers brought presented to the workshop the overall evaluations of agroforestry's developments in northern mountainous province of Yen Bai and southern Mekong river delta area. They also introduced measures of improving net profits from the current agroforestry models in Vietnam.

High on the agenda of the workshop were opportunities and challenges for the promotion of agroforestry in Vietnam, from socio-economic and institutional angles.

ICRAF Vietnam representative - Dr. Delia Catacutan introduced for the first time the concepts of "hot soil" and "cool soil" to the local researchers in a message of climate-smart agriculture, an approach within agroforestry to improve farm productivity, environmental sustainability and farmer's incomes.

At the end of the workshop, local researchers suggested several foci for next year's cooperation, including reviews of former agroforestry studies and data and reevaluation of implemented models in different agro-ecological zones. They also asked ICRAF Vietnam to organize more training workshops tailored for different stakeholders by level, from province leaders, technical staff to district leaders, commune extension workers and farmers.

Agroforestry or the integration of trees on farms is scientifically and practically proved to be an optimal approach to addressing global and local challenges of poverty, depletion of natural resources and climate change.

According to experts, the world has over 2 billion hectares of degraded land area, of which nearly 40% is of agricultural area. Meanwhile, the world population keeps rising, endangering food security. In Vietnam, huge population (88 million people), poor agronomic practices in various places and deforestation for agriculture and fuel woods continue to put pressure on food security, natural resources and the environment.