Building a Pioneering Leader Network in Vietnam
From 7 – 11 May 2026, the Organic Academy of IFOAM – Organics International, the Vietnam Organic Agriculture and Association (VOAA), and Naturland jointly launched the Agroecology and Organic Leadership Course (AOLC) in Hanoi.
Over five days, 27 participants from across Vietnam, representing civil society organisations, the public sector, and private enterprises, came together to strengthen their leadership capacity and exchange knowledge. Notably, more than half of the cohort are women. Led by the Organic Academy of IFOAM – Organics International, AOLC Vietnam is implemented in collaboration with local trainers and experts:
- Dr. Pham Thanh Hai, Lecturer; Member of the Standing Board and Head of VOAA Standards Committee
- Le Ngoc Mai Trang, Naturland Academy Education Expert and Vietnam Project Management; Member of the Standing Board and Head of VOAA Standards Committee
- Principles, movements, and agroecological transition
- Nutrition, healthy and sustainable diets in Agroecology
- Leadership and the Theory of U
- Development Plans Theory of Change and impact chain
- Value chains, markets, and agroecological entrepreneurship
- Organic quality assurance systems (including OGS and PGS)
- Policies and advocacy
- Participatory action research
- Facilitation skills
It included a field visit to Thanh Xuan PGS Farm (Hanoi) and an open dialogue with the Commune People’s Committee regarding the commune’s role in food and agricultural development in their community.
The Next Step in International Cooperation for Organic Capacity Building
In his opening remarks, Dr. Ha Phuc Mich of the VOAA emphasised that the course was the culmination of long-term cooperation between VOAA, PGS Vietnam, IFOAM – Organics International, and various international partners.
Since joining IFOAM membership in 2013, VOAA and PGS Vietnam have reached several key milestones. In 2017, during the "Vietnam Organic Agriculture: Development and Integration” conference in Hanoi, a trilateral agreement was signed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), consolidating the commitment to support human resource training in Vietnam.
A more recent milestone was the 8th Organic Asia Congress (OAC 8) held in September 2025. Following that event, the IFOAM World Board met in Hanoi and invited VOAA to participate, where the vision for this specific AOLC programme was officially conceived.
Building Leadership Capacity and Systems Thinking
Spanning social, ecological, economic, market, and policy dimensions, the AOLC adopts a holistic approach to agroecology and organic agriculture. The programme is designed to cultivate a robust network of "change agents" at local, national, and regional levels.
During the ceremony, Patricia Flores, Senior Manager of the Organic Academy, IFOAM – Organics International, highlighted that the curriculum merged technical knowledge with soft skills, equipping participants with the methodology required to drive agroecology and organic agriculture innovation. She emphasised that the programme does not aim at providing “ready-made formulas” but rather serves as a journey of collective learning to foster a more sustainable and inclusive food system.
Vietnam needs a 'leapfrogging' mindset—leveraging support, partnership, and experience transfer from established international organisations like IFOAM – Organics International, Naturland, and global organic networks.
Chairman, VOAA
The true value of the course lies largely in the connections and shared experiences. This supportive network between participants, experts and instructors will continue to flourish long after the programme ends.
Naturland Academy
Organic for a Better Future
AOLC Vietnam is a six-month hybrid course led by the Organic Academy of IFOAM – Organics International, co-facilitated by local experts and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The course aims to strengthen leadership, policy engagement, and market development to foster inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food systems.
Following this initial in-person session, participants will engage in online classes from June through August 2026, supported by coaching sessions and personal development plans. The cohort will reconvene for a second in-person session in September 2026 to share their development plans for food system transformation for food communities and networks in Vietnam.
