Where are scientists in the safe and sustainable agricultural value chain?

Mr. Nguyen Duy Lam, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology, shares about the agricultural sector and the agricultural product chain - Photo: T.NGA

The 2024 National Scientific Conference on " Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security and Food Safety" took place on October 9 at Nguyen Tat Thanh University (HCMC). Many scientists, businesses and organizations shared many innovative solutions and perspectives on Vietnamese agricultural products and food; as well as connecting and cooperating on agricultural projects.

Science and technology have a great impact on the agricultural value chain.

To move towards sustainable agriculture, according to Mr. Nguyen Duy Lam, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology, shared at the workshop, organic agriculture is also green agriculture; then green agriculture focuses on circular agriculture, with the same destination: sustainable agriculture.

However, Mr. Lam expressed two concerns about the concept of "sustainable food system" and where science and technology are involved in the sustainable agricultural value chain.

Mr. Lam talked about sustainable food systems, which means the goal of food security, nutrition, and social welfare... Mr. Lam asked how far this system has come in Vietnam, and to what extent is it related to sustainable agriculture?

"Regarding safe and sustainable agricultural value, Vietnam has had a chain for 10 years now, including input, production, collection, processing and selling to the market or exporting.

In this agricultural value chain, there is no link whose subject is a scientist or technologist, but science and technology have a huge impact on the chain.

When the "safe and sustainable" tag is attached, the role of science and technology becomes even greater. I wonder if it is us or science and technology that have not done this well, have not researched the chain fully, have not assigned cooperation... between potential units like how a chain operates," he emphasized.

Utilizing waste products: Jackfruit fiber to make wine, durian seed powder to make cakes...

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, each year the agricultural and food processing industries create a large amount of waste by-products that are not effectively utilized, while these materials have high nutritional and economic value.

Vietnamese agricultural products are displayed and introduced at the international food and beverage exhibition in Vietnam - Photo: THAO THUONG

Therefore, at the workshop, scientists and businesses said that utilizing waste by-products and developing raw material sources is a new trend.

For example, scientists from universities in Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City introduced successful research in fruit processing by utilizing the by-products of orange fiber; improving the quality of Thai jackfruit fiber, developing wine from jackfruit fiber...

In addition, extracting starch from durian seeds to make snack cakes; improving the nutrition of pho noodles from colored rice with modified powder; producing bottled tea from coffee fruit shells, or tea bags from cordyceps mushroom bases... are of interest to businesses, because they increase the value of Vietnamese agricultural products.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nha-khoa-hoc-o-dau-trong-chuoi-gia-tri-nong-san-an-toan-va-ben-vung-20241009160939634.htm