Regulatory Status of
Genome Editing in Vietnam
www.vaas.org.vn

Natural area
331,698 km2
km2
Density
288 persons
Urban
population
34.6%
Rural
population
65.4%
Vietnam
Hoang Sa
Truong Sa
Population
95.5 millions
(2018)

Overview
• The agricultural sector
(including forestry and fishery)
has contributed 15,3 % to total
national GDP (2017).
• Agricultural production
activities are a key source of
livelihood for 65 % of the rural
population.
8 agro-ecological zones of Viet Nam

CROPS
Annual Crop Production for 2018
Planted
area
(million ha)
Yield
(ton/ha)
Production
(million tons)
7.57 5.81 44.00
1.09 4.70 5.13
0.534 19.36 10.34
0.96 Varied 17.10
Rice
Maize
Cassava
Vegetable
MARD Annual Report 2018

Industrial crops production 2018
123 987
688 1,620
965 1,140
149 255
302 261
950 8,800
CROPS
Tea
Coffee
Rubber
Black pepper
Cashew
Fruits
Planted area
(thousand ha)
Production
(thousand tons)
MARD Annual Report 2018

Achievements
in agriculture
 Fast and sustainable growth
in a long-term.
 Ensure food security.
 Export increase, high positions
of many agro-products in the
world market (Vietnam became
a major exporter for many
agricultural commodities)
 Policy reform (arable land was
allocated to farmers and farmer
household was determined as
core production unit).

Challenges and constrains in Vietnamese
agriculture
 Agro-processing industry is still under-developed and creates
small added value. Vietnam mainly exports raw materials with
low added value
 High input cost, low quality and low competitiveness of many
agro-products
 Business registration, applicable technical standards, audit and
assurance labeling, traceability of origins have been neglected
 Environmental pollution
 Diseases on crops and livestock is more and more complicated
 Huge effect of climate change

Current status of genome editing
research in Vietnam

Application of Genome editing in Vietnam
Increase of yield
traits
Improvement of
qualitative traits
Enhancement of
disease resistance
Increase of abiotic
stress tolerance
Generation of
herbicide resistanceCRISPR/Cas9
Functional
identification of genes
Basic
reseach
Applied
research
Two kind of research

Rice
1. Using genome editing as a
tool for identification and
characterization of unknown
genes involved in yield and
abiotic stress tolerance traits in
rice
2. Application of genome
editing technologies to
improve disease resistance
(bacterial leaf blight disease)
and quatity (fragrance) of
Vietnamese popular rice
varieties

1. Targeting genes related
to herbicide receptor and
flowering in cassava for
herbicide tolerance and
enhanced flowering for
breeding
2. Evaluation of the
effects of the gene editing
on the flowering and
herbicide tolerance
Collaboration among AGI, JIRCAS and RIKEN
Cassava
Construction of MeFT-editing
T-DNA vectors
1-bp insertion (+T)

Positive
regulators
Negative
regulators
Target GmNAC29
and GmHyPRP1 by
GE technology
National Key Lab of plant cell technology, AGI
soybean

Regulatory Status genome editing
application in Vietnam

Plant Breeding Innovation (PBI)/genome editing tech
is categorized as a form of biotech, which is
increasingly popular in the world, however quite new
with Vietnamese scientists. There are no PBI policies
in place for Vietnam.
Biotech was promoted in the Prime Minister’s
Decision No. 11/2006 on National Target Program on
Development and Application of Biotechnology in
Agriculture 2020. The program is intended to extend
to 2030 with possible inclusion of PBI/genome editing.
Regulatory Status

Biotech application and import have been promoted in
PM’s Decision No. 2194 on National Seed Program
2020. The extension beyond 2020 is still unclear.
Plant breeding and seed quality are currently regulated
in the Seed Ordinance (2004) but this will soon be
replaced by the Law on Crop Production (LCP), which
will become effective on January 1, 2020. PBI/genome
editing is not yet regulated under Law on Crop
Production
Regulatory Status

PBI/genome editing should be treated as non-GM and
be promoted as a tool for plant variety improvements
(especially in disease tolerance), which remains a
controversial issue globally
Developing a policy for PBI/genome editing is highly
recommended to address not only the country’s
growing demand for animal feed but also the
expansion of export markets
Personal opinion

Genome editing technology is an opportunity
for us to exchange new knowledge with
colleagues in the region and countries around
the world.
The application of genome editing technology
is also an opportunity to improve productivity
and resistance/tolerance of some major crop
varieties in Vietnam to cope with climate
change.
Personal opinion

●Development of PBI/ Genome Editing
Material
The materials will focus on the current status of
PBI/genome editing development around the
world and the implications for Vietnam.
The materials will provide consistent references
for scientists and policy makers in Vietnam.
Some activities in the near future

● Workshop Organization
VAAS will organizing several workshops
targeting different stakeholders involved in the
seed industry, including plant scientists, policy
makers, traders etc. in order to introduce PBI/
genome editing
The first workshop for scientists is proposed for
November 2019
Some activities in the near future

● Development of a Web-Based Platform
This will provide Vietnamese scientist,
regulators and other interest stakeholders access
to the most current PBI/genome editing
materials, database and news.
The website will be established in 2020, as an
additional or extension to the existing website
of VAAS or a member institute and be fully
operated by 2021.
Some activities in the near future

Collaborate with us
For more information, please contact:
Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Vinh Quynh, Thanh Tri, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: 84-2438615487; Fax: 84-2438613937
talinh08@gmail.com
www.vaas.org.vn