To foster connections and policy dialogue, on the afternoon of May 15, 2025, National Economics University (NEU), in collaboration with Forest Trends, organized a scientific seminar on “Export markets for Vietnam’s agricultural and forestry products amid EU requirements for deforestation-free production (EUDR) and the potential for carbon credit market development.”

An overview of the seminar

External participants attending the seminar included Dr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; Dr. Nghiem Phuong Thuy, Specialist, Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; Dr. Truong Tat Do, Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; Dr. To Xuan Phuc, Australian National University (ANU), Executive Director of the Forest Policy, Finance and Trade Program at Forest Trends (United States); Bui Viet Anh, Institute of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; Dr. Pham Thi Huong Thuy, Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association; and Tong Hung Hai, Director of Central Vietnam Rubber Joint Stock Company.

Representing NEU were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Thao, Dean of the Faculty of Real Estate and Resource Economics; leadership representatives from schools, departments, faculties, institutes, and centers; and experts, researchers, and lecturers from within and outside the University.

Vietnam is integrating deeply and extensively into the global market, a development of particular importance to its agricultural and forestry sectors. Many commodities, such as coffee, timber, rubber, cashews, and durian, are now produced on a large scale, primarily for export. However, their supply chains are highly complex, involving hundreds of thousands to millions of farming households at the beginning of the chain, thousands of small traders connecting producers with export processing companies, and numerous domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI) companies involved in processing.

Amid concerns about the negative impacts of climate change, major markets such as the United States and the EU are imposing increasingly stringent requirements on agricultural and forestry products produced in tropical countries. The most prominent example is the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), issued in 2023 and set to take effect in early 2026. This regulation permits seven types of commodities, including timber, coffee, rubber, palm oil, cocoa, and beef, as well as certain products processed from these commodities, to enter the EU only if their production does not cause deforestation. Compliance with the EUDR requires traceability across all supply chain activities, with products imported into the EU requiring verifiable evidence that allows them to be traced back to the plots of land where they were grown.

The Government and industry associations are working to change policies and take action to meet increasingly stringent export market requirements while seizing opportunities from new sources of finance, such as forest carbon markets. In this context, universities and research institutes play a particularly important role in providing advice and critical review, helping improve the effectiveness of policy development and implementation. Connections among policymaking agencies, industry associations, and the research community—as well as among research institutions themselves—are essential to establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, particularly in emerging areas such as the EUDR and forest carbon markets.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, speaks at the seminar

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, expressed his hope that the seminar would receive valuable contributions from experts, researchers, and representatives of regulatory agencies on solutions for reorganizing supply chains to ensure traceability, policy mechanisms requiring change, the roles of supply chain participants, and forms of cooperation among farming households, dealers, and processing companies. These contributions would help Vietnam’s agricultural and forestry sectors meet traceability requirements to maintain export markets and achieve sustainable development in the future.

The Vice President expressed his hope that the seminar would mark the beginning of connections among domestic and overseas experts to conduct research and provide policy advice on agriculture and forestry in Vietnam, contributing to the economy’s sustainable development amid integration.

Delegates attending the seminar pose for a commemorative photo

At the seminar, delegates discussed and put forward numerous recommendations to update and share information on export market trends, including new requirements for deforestation-free production, and discussed their implications for Vietnam’s agricultural and forestry sectors.

The seminar also aimed to update and share information on how carbon markets operate, focusing on the future opportunities and challenges facing Vietnam’s forest carbon market. It focused on two main issues: the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will take effect in early 2026, and the potential of the forest carbon credit market in the context of Vietnam’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and striving to achieve net-zero by 2050. It also addressed solutions for reorganizing supply chains to ensure traceability, policy mechanisms requiring change, the roles of supply chain participants, and forms of cooperation among farming households, dealers, and processing companies to meet traceability requirements, maintain export markets, and ensure the sustainable development of these sectors in the future.

Article and photos: Department of Communications

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.