The event attracted around 150 participants both in person and online, including students from the Foreign Trade University (Ha Noi) and Nong Lam University (Ho Chi Minh City), youth organisations such as Empower Youth4Food and the Youth for Climate Action Network, along with representatives from Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Food Bank Viet Nam Network.
As a first-of-its-kind initiative in Viet Nam, the debate was organised to contribute to the broader goal of promoting a sustainable and resilient food system.
In Viet Nam, food loss and waste remain serious challenges across the entire supply chain, from production and processing to retail and household consumption. National studies show that post-harvest losses in some agricultural sectors can reach 20–25%, while the amount of edible food wasted at the consumer level continues to rise.
Reducing food loss and waste plays a crucial role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, conserving land and water resources, enhancing food security, and aligning with Viet Nam’s green transition and net-zero emissions target by 2050. Minimising food waste also helps optimise the use of public and private resources.
The highlight of the event was the student debate round, where teams were required to design and present awareness campaigns on food loss and waste prevention based on real-life scenarios. The judging panel, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Food Bank Viet Nam, and the Danish Embassy, evaluated the teams on content, argumentation, teamwork, and presentation skills.
The winning team, GREENIES, consisted of Hoang Nhat Linh, Le Thi Minh Anh, and Nguyen Thanh Thao from the Foreign Trade University, who impressed the judges with their convincing arguments and creative approach.
Ambassador of Denmark to Viet Nam Nicolai Prytz stated that young people are not only tomorrow’s consumers but also future decision-makers. “They have the passion and creativity to drive real change,” he emphasised.
On the same occasion, Nguyen Giang Thu, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), commended the Danish Embassy’s initiative in organising the event. She stressed that addressing food loss and waste is one of Viet Nam’s top priorities, directly linked to national food security and sustainable development goals.
The debate was held within the framework of the long-term cooperation between Viet Nam and Denmark under the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) Programme on agriculture and food. One of the programme’s core objectives is to enhance awareness and capacity to reduce food loss and waste throughout the value chain, reflecting Denmark’s strong commitment to sustainable development and knowledge sharing.
By engaging students and youth-led organisations, the Embassy hopes to foster broader and more lasting change in this area for the benefit of communities.
Sharing this view, Kha Chan Tuyen, representative of Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City, affirmed: “By involving students, we are nurturing future leaders capable of addressing food loss and waste while deepening Viet Nam–Denmark cooperation in agriculture and food.”
The organisers expressed their hope that this event will lay the foundation for future joint activities and evolve into an annual platform to amplify youth voices, promote innovation, and drive concrete action.
