Participants at the conference from VASS were: Pro. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Member of the Party Central Committee, President of VASS; Vice President of VASS: Pro. Dr. Vo Khanh Vinh, Pro. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, and Asso. Pro. Dr. Pham Van Duc; and other scientists from VASS.
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The conference was also attended by representatives of Lam Dong province and a number of provinces in the Central region and the Central Highlands as: Record-holder, Dr. Pham S., Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong People's Committee, Lieutenant-General Trieu Xuan Hoa, Deputy Head of the Central Highlands Steering Committee; Mr. Y Dham E Nuol, Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak People's Committee; Mr. Bui Nhat Quang, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan People's Committee; and representatives from a number of departments, commissions and organizations of the Central Highlands Steering Committee, provinces of Lam Dong, Dak Nong and Gia Lai... In addition, participants at the Conference were also representatives from a number of Ministries, Central Commissions and institutions of Vietnam including: Office of the Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,ect.
International participants at the Conference included Cambodian representatives of: Academician Dr. Khlot Thyda, President of the RAC; Academician Sum Chhum Bun, Vice President of RAC; Academician Tech Samnang, Consultant of Royal Government of Cambodia; scientists from institutes of RAC and a number of Ministries in Cambodia. Lao representatives at the Conference were Dr. Sila Mounthalavong, Vice President of LASS, scientists from institutes of LASS and a number of Ministries in Laos. Korean representatives at the Conference were Dr. Kwang Kook Park, President of the Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and KEI's research experts and professors from many notable universities in South Korea.
The conference heard 13 speeches along with many comments shared during 3 sessions with themes of: 1) Promoting rural development based on high-tech agriculture and sustainable tourism in the Mekong sub-region: Concept framework; 2) Reviews of national policies aimed to promote rural development based on high-tech agriculture and sustainable tourism in the Mekong sub-region; and 3) Prospect of international cooperation in the Mekong sub-region aimed to promote rural development based on high-tech agriculture and sustainable tourism.
The speeches and comments at the conference focused on clarifying conceptions and approach to smart agriculture and sustainable tourism as important pillars of rural development; policies and practices of implementing policies as well as achieved initial results in this area in the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The conference showed that coherence tourism and agriculture helps to create models of sustainable and innovative development, and bring greater added value to products of these two fields. In Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, there are already sustainable tourism models combined with smart agriculture on high-tech foundation, which are quite successful but this number still not many. A number of comments at the conference also indicated that it is necessary to better clarify way of understanding in reality, production practices and interests of local communities associated with these quite new fields.
On his speech at the conference, Pro. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang stressed that sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas is a paramount importance to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Over the years, development of agriculture and rural areas has been deeply concerned by the governments of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, expressed in many developmental strategies and policies. With transition to market mechanism and initially application of modern technology, as well as advanced production model, agricultural production of the three countries has gradually exploited advantages of tropical agriculture; some agricultural products had a high position on the world market. However, generally agricultures of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are still least developed and away after. Method and organization of agricultural production are backward, mainly relying on households; coherence level of agricultural area with sectors of service and industry is low. Quality of majority of agricultural products are not yet high, and does not penetrate into "fastidious" markets of developed countries. Competitive pressures of deep and wide international integration, and challenge of climate change pose requirement of a new approach, and creation of a change in development of agriculture and rural areas of the three countries.
Pro. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang believed that "smart agriculture" opened a new development direction that shorten agricultural production of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. However, studies in the next time need to better clarify specific approaches to this concept, especially when way of understanding in developing and developed economies is still different. In addition, development of smart agriculture also needs a specific roadmap and suitable resources. Coherence of tourism services with agricultural production is a proper approach, not only helping increase of overall value of agriculture, but also creating rich tourism products that attract tourists.
From comments at the Conference, Pro. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang said that it is necessary to renew model and method of traditional agricultural production towards modernity, gradually transfer to "smart" agriculture. First, it is necessary to change approach to agricultural production, moving from concentration on productivity to quality and value, hereby transfer to development of a smart agriculture with such characteristics as green, high productivity, relying on high technology and adapting to climate change. In particular, it is necessary to focus on role of technology, especially green and clean technology, in enhancement of quality and value of agricultural products. Second, it is necessary to change from model of agricultural production that is fragmentary and less associative, primarily in household scale, into model of agricultural production based on farms and businesses. Agricultural sectors of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia need to form large enterprises to be able to participate in supply chain of products, to expand international markets, especially penetrate in markets of developed economies, and resolve issues of outputs for agricultural products. At the same time, it should have close link and cooperation between the State, especially local authorities, enterprises, scientists and farmers in order to consult and help farmers to unfasten and handle difficulties that farmers are difficult to surmount themselves. Last, it is necessary to develop sector of agricultural support services. In all the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, sector of agricultural support services is still under-developed. This makes that added value and quality of many agricultural products are still low; that many inputs of agricultural production are imported from outside; and that some export products still use foreign trademarks. Sector of agricultural support services can help to assert trademarks, and increase competitive capacity of agricultural products of the three countries on international markets.
The leaders of the three Academies and the President of KEI exchanged and agreed that the fifth four-party conference will take place in the capital of Vientiane of Lao People's Democratic Republic with subject related to implementation and promotion of smart agricultural development in the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia./.
Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung
