- Vietnam needs international support to scale One Million Hectares programme.
- Bottlenecks include resource mobilisation
- Deputy ag ministry recently held meeting with Singapore-based PAA to discuss partnership.
Launched in 2023, the programme aims to bring one million hectares of rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta under high-quality, low-emission production practices by 2030, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Vietnam sees low-emission rice as an opportunity to boost farmer earnings by positioning homegrown rice in premium markets where sustainability credentials command higher prices.
While the sector has made significant progress, resource mobilisation remains one of the biggest challenges facing the programme, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep.
Vietnam seeks international partners
To scale these interventions across major rice-growing regions, Vietnam will require significant financial and technical resources.
Vietnam believes international funds and development organisations could play an important role in accelerating its progress.
Recently, Nguyen met with Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) CEO Shaun Seow to explore how the organisation could be such a partner.
PAA is an initiative by Temasek Trust which operates primarily as a platform for connecting stakeholders and facilitating collective action rather than as a traditional funding organisation.
The organisation works with the Food Innovation Hubs network under the World Economic Forum, which brings together more than 60 partners from businesses, financial institutions, governments and farmer organisations.
As SEA’s regional rice coordinator, PAA is helping connect scientific initiatives, catalytic funding and market demand to support the improved management of five million hectares of rice land across the region by 2030.
During the meeting, Seow expressed his admiration for Vietnam as one of the leading countries advancing low-emission rice production.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), PAA has expressed interest in collaborating with MAE agencies on research, experience-sharing, resource mobilisation and the scaling of sustainable rice production models.
Scaling sustainable rice production
As the sector works to scale its low-emission rice production, MAE is directing the implementation of key programmes aimed at modernising the rice sector.
The overarching objective of the programmes is to improve farmer livelihoods through more efficient systems that deliver higher returns.
“The transformation starts with the use of high-quality rice varieties, improved sowing techniques and field levelling, along with the modernisation of irrigation systems, AWD application, water savings, emission reduction and the adoption of mechanisation,” said the deputy minister.
The ministry is also working with local authorities to increase the share of high-quality, fragrant and specialty rice varieties while gradually reducing lower-quality varieties.
At the same time, efforts are underway to strengthen post-harvest handling and deep-processing capacity to better meet export market requirements.
Vietnam is pursuing two main avenues to increase the value of low-emission rice production.
The first is the development of markets for rice produced using sustainable and responsible farming practices. Hiep said increasing global consumer awareness of Vietnam’s low-emission rice could help generate price premiums for growers.
“Green production can only be truly effective when farmers see increased economic benefits through higher selling prices,” he said.
Carbon credit potential
Beyond the rice itself, the government views carbon credits as a potential additional revenue stream for rice producers.
Since launching the One Million Hectares Project, Vietnam has established a monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system for the rice sector.
According to Nguyen, emissions reductions achieved by farmers are increasingly being recognised internationally, helping lay the groundwork for carbon credit generation.
Ultimately, the goal is to provide farmers with an additional source of income alongside rice sales.
The deputy minister added that Vietnam was looking to expand responsible agricultural production beyond rice and into other agricultural commodities, and was open to international partners helping it advance its agricultural sector sustainably.
