This policy baseline assessment was to provide a snapshot of the views and perceptions of policy-makers and key actors in different domains directly related to food system in Vietnam. This work contributes in Vietnam to the Food System for Healthier Diet flagship implemented as part of the Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) CGIAR Research Programme.

In this study, the authors investigate how the nutrition—food—environment nexus changes across a rural–urban transect and gender and affects diets, food choices, and consequent environmental impacts. The study aims to (1) characterize the dietary patterns and the GHGE and blue water use associated with the diets and (2) to examine the associations between food sourcing, perceived food choices, and diet-related environmental impacts in three contrasting urban, peri-urban, and rural districts in Northern Vietnam.

Vietnamese food systems are undergoing rapid transformation, with important implications for human and environmental health and economic development. Poverty has decreased, and diet quality and undernutrition have improved significantly since the end of the Doi Moi reform period (1986-1993) as a result of Viet Nam opening its economy and increasing its regional and global trade.

To foster in-depth research and practical applications, selecting benchmark sites from rural to urban areas not only reflects the diversity of food systems but also serves as a key to sustainable solutions.

The transformation of food systems emerges as a critical challenge necessitating a deep, holistic comprehension of the complex and multifaceted barriers that hinder progress towards sustainability.

Objectives: To estimate the cost and affordability of healthy diets recommended by the 2016–2020 Vietnamese food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG).

Like many countries, the Vietnamese government and international aid organizations in Vietnam have considerable interest in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which are inextricably linked with sustainable diets. The authors grounded the development of our conceptual framework in a Vietnamese context from the outset of the study, while also drawing from the scientific literature to incorporate the breadth of knowledge and theory available on sustainable diets.

Child stunting has immediate and long-term consequences including increased morbidity and mortality as well as detrimental impacts on child development and adult health, and it contributes to the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, hindering economic development Therefore, the authors want to improve understanding of the determinants of child stunting in Vietnam nationally and among vulnerable subpopulations by assessing associations of hypothesized child-, maternal-, household- and environment-level determinants of stunting in children 6–59 months using nationally representative data from the 2015 Vietnam Nutrition Surveillance System.

Included in the A4NH program, The authors researchers recommend future work that documents the engagement process with local stakeholders to prioritize local food systems’ issues and identify possible demand based actions, interventions, or local policy in three benchmark sites.

The rise in food consumption away from home poses health risks and remains under-researched in many countries. This study developed and tested survey modules in Burkina Faso and Vietnam to capture its economic and nutritional impacts, revealing limitations and emphasizing the need for improved tools to measure this behavior accurately.

Firstly, this paper provides additional evidence and proof-of-concept for the food choice questionnaire as a research tool in Vietnam. Secondly, demonstrating the use of a country-specific diet quality measure Diet Quality Index–Vietnam (DQI-V). Thirdly, assessing the relationship between DQI-V and food choice questionnaire (FCQ)

The rising prevalence of unhealthy diets and related health issues in Vietnam has prompted researchers to analyze the impact of current policies on food environments. This study, conducted under the SHiFT initiative, investigates the strengths and gaps in Vietnam’s multi-sectoral policy landscape, providing insights and recommendations for promoting healthier food systems.