INTRODUCTION
Climate change poses profound challenges to agriculture worldwide, affecting food security, rural livelihoods, and ecosystem health (FAO 2021). In Vietnam, where agriculture remains a crucial sector, the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident, including rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events (World Bank Group 2019). These challenges threaten both productivity and the sustainability of rural landscapes across the country’s diverse agroecological zones.
n response to these challenges, Climate-Smart Agroforestry (CSAF) has emerged as a promising solution. Agroforestry integrates trees, crops, and livestock within agricultural landscapes to increase resilience, enhance carbon sequestration, and support biodiversity (FAO 2013), making agroforestry climate-smart. Globally, agroforestry practices span nearly 1 billion hectares of land and engage millions of farmers, especially in tropical regions (Baral 2022). CSAF is mentioned as a part of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) as “a transformative approach which is built on three interlinked pillars, including (i) increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; (ii) enhancing resilience; and (iii) reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions” (Palombi and Sessa 2013; Tesema and Mekoya 2025).
Vietnam’s long-standing tradition of agroforestry offers a rich foundation for scaling CSAF. With an estimated 77.8% of agricultural land featuring more than 10% tree cover, agroforestry practices have been widely adopted across the country (Baral 2022). These systems range from traditional home gardens and integrated farming systems to more specialized models tailored to specific regions, such as coffee agroforestry in the Central Highlands or mangrove-based systems in coastal areas.
Despite Vietnam’s commitment to sustainable development and climate adaptation, as evidenced by its inclusion of agroforestry in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the widespread adoption of CSAF remains limited. Barriers include policy fragmentation and being hidden in the Forestry Policy, limited access to technical knowledge, and resource constraints for smallholder farmers (Nguyen et al. 2022). Additionally, the diverse agroecological zones of Vietnam, from the Northern Mountains to the Mekong Delta, present unique challenges and opportunities for CSAF implementation. It is likely that a gap in a comprehensive review of the existing climate-smart agroforestry systems in Vietnam.
This paper aimed to provide a comprehensive review of climate-smart agroforestry (CSAF) in Vietnam, focusing on several critical areas. First, it examined the current status of agroforestry and CSAF practices across Vietnam’s key agroecological zones, highlighting both traditional and modern approaches. Second, it reviewed the institutional and policy frameworks that support CSAF development, identifying strengths and gaps in governance. Third, the paper evaluated the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of CSAF systems, including their role in improving food security, increasing farmer incomes, enhancing biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. Fourth, it discussed the challenges and opportunities for scaling up CSAF in Vietnam, considering factors such as market access, land-use rights, and climate-related risks. Finally, the paper offered recommendations for enhancing CSAF adoption and effectiveness, focusing on policy reforms, capacity-building, and financial mechanisms to promote sustainable and scalable agroforestry models.
By synthesizing current knowledge, identifying gaps, and proposing targeted recommendations, this review seeks to inform policymakers, researchers, and practitioners on strategies to promote CSAF as a key approach for sustainable agriculture and climate resilience in Vietnam. The findings of this study will contribute to ongoing efforts to align agricultural development with Vietnam’s climate commitments and sustainable development goals.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
This study employed a systematic review approach to examine CSAFs in Vietnam, drawing from a combination of peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and case studies across diverse agroecological zones. The methodology was designed to address the key objectives outlined in the introduction. The study was conducted in Vietnam during 2024 – 2025.
Literature search and selection. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using academic databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Key search terms included “climate-smart agriculture”, “agroforestry”, “Vietnam”, “climate change adaptation”, and “sustainable agriculture”. The search was limited to publications from 2014 to 2024 to ensure up-to-date information. Additional grey literature, including government reports and policy documents, was sourced from relevant Vietnamese government websites and international organizations working in Vietnam.
Policy analysis. National and regional policies related to climate-smart agriculture and forestry, were reviewed including Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the National Strategy on Climate Change, and the Agricultural Development Plan 2021-2030. Emphasis was placed on understanding how these policies support or limit CSAF models and their scaling potential, particularly for sustainable land use and carbon sequestration.
Case study compilation. To contextualize the application of CSAF, detailed case studies were compiled across different agroecological zones (Mulia and Nguyen 2021). The case studies covered traditional agroforestry practices and their climate-smart adaptations. For example, in the Northern Mountains, focus was on the integration of leguminous trees into maize and cassava systems, and on shade-grown coffee production supported by CSAF initiatives in the Central Highlands.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Current status of agroforestry and climate-smart agroforestry practices in Vietnam. CSAF is recently defined as “an integrated approach to land use that combines trees, crops, and sometimes animals within managed farmlands, offering a sustainable farming system that helps mitigate and adapt to climate change” (Kabato et al. 2025). Therefore, the differences between Climate-Smart Agroforestry (CSAF) and Business-as-usual (BAU) Agroforestry are likely paired by categories involving: purpose and goals; management practices; climate impact; economic & social context; and technology & data use.
In summary, CSAF = Agroforestry redesigned for climate mitigation + adaptation + sustainable productivity, using planned, measurable, climate-smart strategies, while Business-as-usual agroforestry = Traditional agroforestry without explicit climate objectives or systematic planning (Table 1).
