The Salinity Innovation Mission to Vietnam

A total of 23 organisations and companies participated, bringing a broad range of expertise - from seed breeding, greenhouse systems and soil health, to water innovation, research and development, impact investment, capacity development and education, and partnership facilitation. That diversity mattered. Salinity is not a single-sector issue; it cuts across production systems, water management, markets, skills, and governance. The mission created space for stakeholders to compare perspectives, connect innovations to real needs, and better understand where joint action is most needed.

One of the strongest aspects of the week was the emphasis on field learning. Through multiple farm and site visits, participants were able to see challenges and responses first-hand and speak directly with farmers and local actors. These conversations helped ground technical discussions in lived realities - including how salinity shapes daily decisions, risks to livelihoods, and the feasibility of different adaptation options. The delegation visited, among others, The Fruit Republic, Dutch Green Coconut, and The Loop Farm, and also learned more about the Mekong Salt Lab, supported through Partners for Water. Across these visits, the message was consistent: successful innovation must be practical, context-specific, and connected to local learning and ownership.

The programme also included inspiring and interactive sessions at Can Tho University, in collaboration with Tra Vinh University. This collaboration between two universities in the Mekong Delta stood out as a promising example of how education and applied research can work together in service of regional challenges and how institutions can play a convening role for innovation ecosystems.

Later in the week, the mission convened a Business Forum, bringing together representatives from the private sector, universities, the People’s Committee of Can Tho, and FAO. Babette moderated the panel ‘From farm to future: Innovations for the development of Mekong Delta’s horticulture’, intentionally bringing together voices that are not always in the same conversation: community-led approaches (The Water Agency), farmers’ perspectives (Vietnam Farmers Union), education and skills development (Skilled), water innovation and technology (Rainmaker Holland), and research (Maastricht University – Brightlands Future Farming Institute). The panel reinforced that lasting progress requires more than technical solutions alone: it depends on trust, skills, inclusive processes, and collaboration that links evidence, investment, and implementation.

Overall, the week was highly productive: strong dialogue, practical insight from the field, and new connections across Dutch and Vietnamese stakeholders. NFP provided input throughout the mission to help shape the basis for a new Netherlands–Vietnam partnership on salinity. The next step is to digest the many impressions and insights, follow up with partners, and translate the momentum into concrete collaboration that supports resilience and sustainable horticulture in the Mekong Delta.