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Partners & Projects

Vietnam: Climate-Smart Rice Cultivation Initiative

Project Date:

March 2020 – June 2023

Partners:

Vietnam Farmers' Union (VNFU)

Background

Rice cultivation fuels a major part of Vietnam’s national economy. With the Mekong Delta standing at the heart of the country’s rice production, generous harvests of rice from this region have propelled Vietnam to become the world’s second-largest exporter of the grain.

While an economic driver and crucial to food security, rice cultivation also comes with environmental costs. The scale of the issue is huge, with more than 60% of the country’s contaminated groundwater a result of excessive pesticide and fertiliser use in agricultural production. Rice cultivation is also a significant contributor to Vietnam’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, which is emitted from flooded rice paddies.

Given the importance of rice to the country’s economy and sustainable development, the green transformation of rice cultivation is crucial to Vietnam’s net-zero by 2050 roadmap. Sustainable and climate-friendly farming practices will not only support the value of the nation’s rice industry, but will also be critical to the global response to climate change. There are numerous local-level benefits to be had as well, from improving incomes in the farming community to enhanced operational efficiency.

This project, in partnership with Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VNFU), builds on the foundation laid out by the steady adoption of select techniques derived from the System of Rice Intensification. A farming method aimed at achieving sustainable rice cultivation which has been promoted in over 50 countries and regions worldwide. Since 2013, it has been adopted in 23 provinces within Vietnam. To widen the scope and scale of adoption, technical training was provided to Vietnamese rice farmers.

Project Features

There was a strong balance struck between ecological outcomes and efficiency and productivity for farmers. During each workshop, farmers and farming associations gained knowledge of simple yet effective tools.
Among them were techniques that enabled the accurate assessment of nitrogen fertiliser demand, thereby reducing unnecessary overuse. This helped to both reduce costs for farmers, while also slashing nitrous oxide emissions. Nitrous oxide emissions represent a potent greenhouse gas with a global heating potential far greater than carbon dioxide.
Other techniques like the proper use of rice straw in composting, mulching and mushroom cultivation eliminated the practice of burning. Efficient water management training, on the other hand, helped cut down on input costs while boosting the quality of rice with these targeted paddies and reducing methane emissions.
Overall, a combination of these sustainable practices improved soil quality and organic carbon sequestration capacity of agricultural systems—all the while reaping benefits for food safety and security, health and livelihoods.
The solutions employed in this 3-year programme were designed with inputs from behavioural science. Using local field survey research and analyses undertaken by a third-party team, technical transfer and training workshops were developed to consider the unique needs and context of the sites, thereby boosting acceptance rates.
One of the reasons why the techniques proved popular among farmers was the strong effect it had on reducing agricultural costs as a result of lower resource wastage. Compounding this effect, this programme offered workshops on enhancing the marketability and branding of climate smart rice, opening up new sustainable development avenues for the community.

Project Outcomes

There were remarkable successes achieved in widening SRI adoption in Vietnam. By the end of this initiative, over 283,476 farming households and 203,965 hectares of rice fields saw conversion to at least one climate-smart farming technique.
As a result of these conversions, there was a marked reduction in fertiliser use by anywhere between 20 to 80% among participating farmers, as well as an up to 80% decline in straw burning practices. 85% of participating farmers also reported an average 13% increase in their rice yields.
These outcomes came about as a result of 352 training sessions on climate-friendly rice technologies, which garnered the participation of over 8,700 people at the community-level. Additionally, 290 members from the VNFU and Agricultural Extension Stations were coached to become technical trainers.
Other public dissemination activities also broadened the project’s reach. An estimated 20,000 farmers, government department staff, and VNFU personnel were engaged in 360 campaigns in total. These promoted climate-friendly rice cultivation at the provincial, municipal, and communal levels.
Yet another success was the media attention that climate smart rice techniques garnered. On top of the 160,0000 promotional materials distributed over the course of the initiative, there were 180 news articles published in local newspapers, magazines, or online platforms that helped raise awareness about the effectiveness of sustainable rice cultivation.
Finally, this initiative secured continued local government funding and other business financing totalling VND 7.5 billion. With long-term financial support, climate-friendly rice cultivation is set to continue scaling across Vietnam, alleviating the industry’s impact on the planet and boosting the local economy in a responsible and sustainable way for generations to come.