Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is stepping up efforts to build low-emission agricultural production zones and standardise greenhouse gas measurement systems as part of a long-term strategy to make the farming sector greener, more competitive, and better positioned in international markets.

The move follows the approval of the national project on low-emission crop production for 2025–2035, with a vision to 2050. The initiative is now being actively implemented across the country, with local authorities playing a key role in turning policy into action.

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, 22 cities and provinces have already issued provincial action plans to carry out the project.

Several localities have launched pilot models. In the central province of Quang Tri, low-emission rice cultivation is being applied across more than 6,000 hectares in 13 communes. Hue city has introduced a 20-hectare rice farming model that combines advanced cultivation techniques, improved water management and better rice straw treatment to reduce emissions.

Many international organisations and businesses have also registered to participate in pilot programmes, while a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system is being developed to monitor emission reductions.

The crop production sector aims to establish low-emission farming zones tailored to key products and ecological regions by 2030. Priority will be given to rice, coffee, fruit and maize production.

For rice cultivation, the focus will be on expanding alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation methods, improving rice straw management, reducing seed use, optimising fertiliser application and increasing mechanisation. These efforts will be linked to the national programme to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta.

In coffee-growing areas such as the Central Highlands and Son La province, authorities are promoting circular farming models, water-saving irrigation systems, organic fertilisers, by-product recycling and soil restoration. Pilot low-emission coffee zones will also be developed alongside traceability systems and sustainable export programmes.

For fruit crops, including durian, dragon fruit, pomelo, passion fruit and mango, the emphasis will be placed on irrigation management and agricultural waste treatment to meet increasingly strict green standards in export markets.

The ministry has also prioritised the development of a unified MRV framework from the central to local levels, starting with rice and coffee before expanding to other major crops.

Vietnam’s agricultural sector aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from crop production by at least 15% by 2035 compared with 2020 levels. It also plans to develop a national “Low Emission” label for crop products and pilot at least 15 farming models capable of generating carbon credits that meet international standards.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung said the project’s ultimate goal is to build a sustainable and climate-resilient crop sector that lowers production costs, increases farmers’ incomes and enhances the reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products globally.

He stressed that the transition requires a shift from focusing on output volume to prioritising quality, efficiency, added value and environmental responsibility. While the ministry will provide policy guidance and technical support, local authorities will be responsible for organising implementation, mobilising resources and developing large-scale low-emission production models that can be replicated nationwide./.