DEVELOPING AGROFORESTRY PRODUCTION FOR SUSTAINABLE POVERTY REDUCTION AND HUNGER ERADICATION IN THE NORTHERN MIDLAND AND MOUNTAINOUS REGION OF VIETNAM

The Northern midland and mountainous region of Vietnam is recognised as having very rich resources for agricultural production. This sector plays a dominant role in the economic structure of the region, which accounts for 68.3% of the household income and ranked second within eight ecological regions of Vietnam. However, this region has been still in the poorest area of the country, which 24.5% of the total household ranked as poor while this rate was only 8.2% in the whole country. By reviewing the most updated data and scientific reports, this paper analysed the status of agricultural sector and identified the most significant challenges in the application of agroforestry for poverty reduction in the region. This paper also analysed relevant factors to highlight the opportunities to promote sustainable agriculture production. Based on that, suitable recommendations were also made to take the advantages and eliminate the drawbacks in order to promote the sustainable agroforestry production. In which, diversification of cropping, application of future smart foods, and improvement of supporting policy are highly potential solutions