Building a Pioneering Leader Network in Vietnam

From 7 - 11 May 2026, the Organic Academy of IFOAM - Organics International, the Vietnam Organic Agriculture and Association (VOAA), and Naturland jointly launched the Agroecology and Organic Leadership Course (AOLC) in Hanoi.

Over five days, 27 participants from across Vietnam, representing civil society organisations, the public sector, and private enterprises, came together to strengthen their leadership capacity and exchange knowledge. Notably, more than half of the cohort are women. Led by the Organic Academy of IFOAM - Organics International, AOLC Vietnam is implemented in collaboration with local trainers and experts:

• Dr. Pham Thanh Hai, course expert, Lecturer in Agroecology at Vietnam University of Agriculture; former Principal of The North Vietnam College of Agriculture and Rural Development

• Mrs. Tu Tuyet Nhung course expert, Member of the VOAA Standing Board and Head of VOAA Standards Committee.

Overview of the Five-Day Session

The Next Step in International Cooperation for Organic Capacity Building

In his opening remarks, Dr. Ha Phuc Mich of the VOAA emphasised that the course was the culmination of long-term cooperation between VOAA, PGS Vietnam, IFOAM - Organics International, and various international partners.

Since joining IFOAM membership in 2013, VOAA and PGS Vietnam have reached several key milestones. In 2017, during the "Vietnam Organic Agriculture: Development and Integration" conference in Hanoi, a trilateral agreement was signed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), consolidating the commitment to support human resource training in Vietnam.

A more recent milestone was the 8th Organic Asia Congress (OAC 8) held in September 2025. Following that event, the IFOAM World Board met in Hanoi and invited VOAA to participate, where the vision for this specific AOLC programme was officially conceived.

Building Leadership Capacity and Systems Thinking

Spanning social, ecological, economic, market, and policy dimensions, the AOLC adopts a holistic approach to agroecology and organic agriculture. The programme is designed to cultivate a robust network of "change agents" at local, national, and regional levels.

During the ceremony, Patricia Flores, Senior Manager of the Organic Academy, IFOAM - Organics International, highlighted that the curriculum merged technical knowledge with soft skills, equipping participants with the methodology required to drive agroecology and organic agriculture innovation. She emphasised that the programme does not aim at providing "ready-made formulas" but rather serves as a journey of collective learning to foster a more sustainable and inclusive food system.

Vietnam needs a 'leapfrogging' mindset-leveraging support, partnership, and experience transfer from established international organisations like IFOAM - Organics International, Naturland, and global organic networks.

The true value of the course lies largely in the connections and shared experiences. This supportive network between participants, experts and instructors will continue to flourish long after the programme ends.

Organic for a Better Future

AOLC Vietnam is a six-month hybrid course led by the Organic Academy of IFOAM - Organics International, co-facilitated by local experts. It is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) via sequa. The course aims to strengthen leadership, policy engagement, and market development to foster inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food systems.

Following this initial in-person session, participants will engage in online classes from June through August 2026, supported by coaching sessions and personal development plans. The cohort will reconvene for a second in-person session in September 2026 to share their development plans for food system transformation for food communities and networks in Vietnam.