VIETNAM NUTRITIONAL PORTAL
In Response to the “Nutrition and Development Week” 2025
(from October 16 – 23/ 2025)
Theme of World Food Day 16 October 2025, by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
English: “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”
Vietnamese: “Chung tay vì thực phẩm tốt hơn và tương lai tốt đẹp hơn”
In alignment with this spirit, the theme of the “Nutrition and Development Week” 2025 is:
“Produce and consume diverse, nutritious, safe, and sustainable foods for the health and comprehensive development of everyone.”
Download the communication messages in response to the “Nutrition and Development" Week 2025 File Word, File PDF
I. INFORMATION ON THE “NUTRITION AND DEVELOPMENT WEEK” 2025
1. Objectives
To strengthen communication activities in response to the “Nutrition and Development Week” 2025 (from October 16–23) at both central and local levels, aiming to:
2. Legal Basis
Pursuant to Decision No. 02/QĐ-TTg of the Government approving the National Nutrition Strategy for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision toward 2045, which includes the section “III. Key Tasks and Solutions,” item 3 on Strengthening Nutrition Communication and Education.
Pursuant to Decision No. 1294/QĐ-BYT of the Ministry of Health approving the Action Plan for Implementation of the National Nutrition Strategy for the 2021–2025 period, in which one of the main tasks and solutions is: “4. Strengthen effective communication and advocacy activities”, specifically item 4.1 on organizing annual communication campaigns, including Micronutrient Day (June 1 and December 1), World Breastfeeding Week (August 1–7), and Nutrition and Development Week (October 16–23).
Pursuant to Decision No. 288/QĐ-BYT dated January 23, 2025, of the Ministry of Health on the Plan for Health Communication and Information in 2025, in which Nutrition and Development Week (October 16–23) is identified as one of the key communication events and themes, with the Department of Disease Control and the National Institute of Nutrition serving as the technical focal points.
3. World Food Day
World Food Day (WFD) is celebrated annually on October 16 worldwide to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on October 16, 1945.[1] The event is widely observed by many organizations concerned with hunger and food security, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). World Food Day and its related initiatives were recognized with the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to combat hunger, contribute to peace in conflict-affected areas, and play a leading role in preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
In Viet Nam, the event is organized jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and FAO. Notably, the 35th World Food Day celebration in 2015 took place in Lao Cai Province, a key location for the United Nations Joint Programme on Nutrition and Food Security, led by FAO, aimed at ending child malnutrition and stunting.
The theme of World Food Day 2025 is set against the following context:[2]
Approximately 733 million people worldwide are facing hunger due to ongoing weather shocks, conflicts, economic downturns, inequality, and pandemics. These crises disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable—many of whom are agricultural households—reflecting rising inequalities both between and within countries.
More than 2.8 billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet. Unhealthy diets are now the main driver of all forms of malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies and obesity, which coexist across most nations and social strata. Today, too many people suffer from hunger or cannot afford nutritious diets. Vulnerable groups often rely on staple or inexpensive foods that may be unhealthy, while others lack access to fresh and diverse foods, the information needed to make healthy choices, or simply prioritize convenience.
Hunger and malnutrition are further aggravated by prolonged or recurrent crises caused by the combined effects of conflict, extreme weather events, and economic shocks. Agrifood systems remain highly vulnerable to disasters and crises—particularly those driven by climate change—while also contributing to pollution, land and water degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss. Transforming these agrifood systems offers significant potential to mitigate climate change and promote peaceful, resilient, and inclusive livelihoods for all.
Achieving food and nutrition security for all requires substantial investment, innovation, science, technology, and broad collaboration among stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, research and academic institutions, and civil society. All actors—governments, private enterprises, farmers, academia, civil society, and individuals—must work together to ensure the availability of diverse, nutritious, affordable, accessible, safe, and sustainable foods, thereby achieving food security and healthy diets for all.
In this context, the theme of World Food Day 2025 is: “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future.” (Vietnamese: “Chung tay vì thực phẩm tốt hơn và tương lai tốt đẹp hơn.”)
Reference link: https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en