Viet Nam to Launch P-CRAFT Initiative at COP31 to Transform Climate-Smart Agrifood Value Chains

11 November 2026, Vietnam: The Government of Viet Nam, in collaboration with partner countries and international organisations, will announce the Partnership for Climate-smart and Responsible Agrifood Value Chains Transformation (P-CRAFT) on November 17, 2026, on the sidelines of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.

The initiative aims to bring together governments, international organisations, financial institutions, businesses and development partners to accelerate the transition towards sustainable and climate-resilient agrifood value chains, while ensuring tangible economic and livelihood benefits for producers.

Addressing Growing Challenges Across Agrifood Systems

Climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and increasing pressure on natural resources are placing significant strain on global agrifood systems. These challenges extend beyond agricultural production, affecting farmers’ livelihoods, food security, international trade and the resilience of supply chains.

Addressing these interconnected challenges requires a broader transformation of the entire agrifood value chain, encompassing primary production, harvesting, processing, storage, transportation, trade and consumption. This transition will depend on stronger collaboration among governments, farmers, businesses, financial institutions, research organisations and development partners.

P-CRAFT has been conceived as an international cooperation platform to facilitate this collective approach and support agrifood value chains that deliver economic, environmental and social benefits.

Three Strategic Pillars to Transform Agrifood Value Chains

P-CRAFT is structured around three strategic pillars designed to strengthen sustainability and resilience across agrifood systems.

1. Strengthening Transparency, Traceability and Sustainability

The first pillar focuses on improving transparency and traceability across agrifood value chains. Reliable information systems, stronger traceability mechanisms and improved data sharing will help establish product origins, document production practices and demonstrate sustainability performance.

These measures are expected to strengthen trust among value chain stakeholders, improve accountability and help producers and businesses respond to evolving market requirements.

2. Promoting Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Production Systems

The second pillar aims to advance low-emission, climate-resilient and nature-positive production systems. It emphasises agricultural practices adapted to local ecological conditions, more efficient use of natural resources and reduced environmental impacts.

The initiative also seeks to strengthen the adaptive capacity of farmers and rural communities in response to increasing climate-related risks.

3. Mobilising Finance and Investment

The third pillar addresses the need to mobilise finance and investment for sustainable agrifood transformation. Smallholder farmers, cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises continue to face challenges in accessing finance, technology and technical assistance.

P-CRAFT aims to strengthen connections between financial institutions, development partners and private-sector organisations to mobilise investment and scale up sustainable production practices and business models.

The three pillars are interconnected, with transparency supporting market confidence, sustainable production creating environmental and economic value, and investment enabling successful approaches to expand across value chains.

Farmers at the Centre of an Inclusive Transition

A key principle of P-CRAFT is to ensure that the transformation of agrifood value chains remains inclusive, with meaningful participation from smallholder farmers, local communities, women and young people.

The initiative will follow principles of voluntary participation, inclusiveness, transparency, national ownership and science-based decision-making.

Smallholder farmers and rural communities play a central role in agricultural production but often face barriers to accessing finance, technology, information and markets. P-CRAFT seeks to address these gaps by improving access to knowledge, technical support and opportunities to participate in higher-value supply chains.

The partnership also aims to facilitate dialogue, knowledge exchange and coordination among existing initiatives, while ensuring that cooperation reflects the development priorities and specific circumstances of participating countries.

Viet Nam Strengthens International Cooperation on Sustainable Agriculture

As a co-initiator of P-CRAFT, Viet Nam aims to work with international partners to promote knowledge sharing, mobilise resources and develop practical partnerships supporting sustainable agricultural transformation.

The announcement at COP31 reflects Viet Nam’s commitment to international efforts on climate action, sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. The initiative is intended to contribute to the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Through this partnership, Viet Nam seeks to strengthen cooperation among governments, international organisations, financial institutions, businesses, research institutions and development partners, translating shared commitments into practical programmes and projects.

At the launch event on November 17, founding partners are expected to outline their initial cooperation priorities and explore opportunities to advance practical solutions for transforming agrifood value chains.

The event will be held at the Viet Nam Pavilion (C235) in the Blue Zone of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together stakeholders from the public sector, private sector, academia and the international development community.

Building Climate-Resilient and Responsible Agrifood Value Chains

As climate change increasingly influences agricultural production and global trade, P-CRAFT aims to serve as a platform for connecting resources, exchanging knowledge and accelerating collective action.

Beyond promoting climate- and nature-responsible value chains, the initiative seeks to create new development opportunities, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen rural livelihoods. Its broader ambition is to ensure that the transition towards sustainable agrifood systems delivers tangible benefits to producers while maintaining open, fair and sustainable markets.

Through international cooperation and coordinated action, P-CRAFT aims to support value chains that enable farmers to prosper and agricultural production systems to operate in greater harmony with nature.

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