Agroforestry (AF) has been considered as one of the approaches to deal with shifting cultivation and climate change. In Vietnam, the practice of AF has been documented since 1960s uncJer two common systems, namely 'garden-fish pond-livestock' and 'forest-garden-fish pond-livestock'. However, not but until 1990, innovative AF techniques and systems at the field level were introduced in line with government interventions to halt shifting cultivation. Through intensive literature reviews, this paper outlines the history of AF research and development activities in Vietnam, identifies the drivers and agents of change, and discusses the remaining issues and challenges. The paper also discusses the opportunities and research gaps in AF. The analysis indicated that under ongoing opportunities, putting more efforts in researching AF systems in consideration of local ecological knowledge, designing AF practices that enhance the multifunctionality of landscapes is very important. In addition, demonstrating the role of those systems in improving livelihoods, enhancing resilience and in climate change mitigation and adaption will be an important milestone for a more systematic research and development of AF in Vietnam.