Led by the Health and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (HAPRI) at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, the "Food Loss in the Pangasius Catfish Value Chain of the Mekong River Basin" project is a comprehensive research initiative funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Running from April 2023 to June 2026, the project aims to increase awareness of food loss and waste within the Pangasius industry and facilitate investments to reduce it. By addressing the entire production spectrum, from farmers to consumers, the initiative seeks to propose solutions that minimize waste, resulting in improved livelihoods for small-scale producers, enhanced community well-being, and significant environmental benefits through increased system efficiency.

The project operates as a cross-border collaboration across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, engaging a diverse network of academic, government, and private sector partners. Key academic partners include the National University of Laos, the Royal University of Agriculture in Cambodia, and the University of New England in Australia. A major focus of the project is private sector engagement; researchers have actively collaborated with major industry players such as the Vinh Hoan Corporation and Vietnam Food to identify loss hotspots and potential interventions. Additionally, the project maintains high-level governmental engagement, evidenced by the sharing of initial research findings with senior directors at Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Recent activities in 2024 and 2025 have focused on data gathering and capacity building, including in-depth interviews with farmers and processors, stakeholder surveys in An Giang and Dong Thap provinces, and training sessions on value chain mapping. A significant milestone was reached on June 16, 2025, when the project signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vietnam Food, a leading company in food waste transformation, to co-design pilot interventions. Looking ahead, the team is focused on implementing these locally driven solutions and pilot interventions throughout late 2025 and 2026 to practically address food loss in the region.