Programs to improve production and consumption of animal source foods and malnutrition in Vietnam

The objective of this paper is to review programs to improve production of animal source foods in Vietnam, emphasizing the VAC ecosystem and trends in undernutrition during past decades. The food consumption surveys of the Vietnamese population in 1985 showed that food intake was inadequate, especially animal protein. Most protein came from rice; the consumption of meats, beans and fish was negligible. During the last 10 y, much attention was paid to improving the health and nutritional status of the Vietnamese people. Many programs were implemented in Vietnam to improve the food intake and nutritional status of the people, and especially the intake of animal source foods. The VAC system is a traditional type of farming for Vietnamese people. The aim of VAC is to provide diversified agricultural products to meet the complex nutritional demands of man. Based on the scientific fundamentals of VAC, many different models of VAC have been developed at a national level. The intervention programs to improve production and consumption of animal source foods, and the VAC ecosystem in Vietnam during the last decade have been successful. The population's dietary intakes have clearly improved in terms of both quality and quantity. The consumption of staple foods in 2000, including meats, fish, fats and oils, and ripe fruits was much higher compared to 1987. The prevalence of undernutrition in children <5 y old, and of chronic energy deficiency (CED) in women of reproductive age, has been remarkably reduced.