Vietnamese agricultural products are currently exported to nearly 200 countries and territories. Vietnam is also participating in 17 free trade agreements, creating tariff advantages for many products. However, importing partners are increasingly demanding green production and emission reduction.

Spreading the green wave

The household of Tran Kim Phuong in Thanh Loi Commune, Vinh Thanh District, Can Tho, is one of 38 farming households to have been awarded cash prizes by the Can Tho Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the International Rice Research Institute for their achievements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in rice cultivation during the winter-spring crop from December 2023 to April 2024.

Phuong shared: “By converting rice fields from continuous flooding to alternate wetting and drying irrigation techniques and reducing fertiliser use, my family’s rice production has reduced CO2 equivalent emissions by 4.38 tonnes per hectare. This new production process is attracting interest from many neighbours in the commune.”

Nguyen Ngoc Huan, Director of Khiet Tam Cooperative (Thanh Loi Commune, Vinh Thanh District, Can Tho), said this is the first achievement of the pilot model following high-quality, low-emission rice production technical procedures. Instead of traditional production methods, farmers have boldly applied new farming solutions; this also marks a shift in farmers’ awareness about environmental protection with very new concepts such as emission reduction, carbon credits, carbon markets, etc., bringing farmers closer to global green agricultural production trends.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, recent pilot models of high-quality, low-emission rice production in five provinces and cities — Can Tho, Dong Thap, Kien Giang, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang — have shown very positive results, reducing costs by 20-30%, increasing productivity by 10%, increasing farmers’ incomes by 20-25%, and reducing emissions by an average of 5-6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare.

Sharing about production and processing trends towards green growth, Phan Thi Bich Phuong, Head of Quality Systems at Ben Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex), said: “Affirming its brand as a leading coconut company from Vietnam, the company has implemented a sustainable zero-waste strategy focusing strongly on three pillars: environment, society and economy. Each pillar continuously strives to fulfil the mission of elevating the value of coconut and achieving zero-emission production goals. The company’s emission offset project will be authenticated and verified by a reputable international organisation with the goal of achieving net zero by 2038.”

Accordingly, the company has been expanding its rooftop solar power area; producing bio-fertiliser from production wastewater sludge; managing 15,000 hectares of organic coconut gardens; reducing food waste in production; and generating 100% of electricity and steam simultaneously from biomass fuel.

Additionally, Betrimex is intensifying support for farmers through sustainable farming models and digitalisation, utilising the full value of coconuts to increase income and improve livelihoods for rural communities. Currently, about 32.4% of the company's coconuts are consumed domestically, while 67.6% are exported to more than 40 countries worldwide.

Farmers harvest rice by machine in Hau My Bac A Commune, Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province. (Photo: Nguyen Su)

Reaching high-quality markets

After more than four years since the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect, the EU is now Vietnam’s leading trading partner, with the estimated export turnover over four years reaching more than 200 billion USD, up 12-15%.

According to Dinh Sy Minh Lang from the Europe-Americas Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, this growth is evident across many sectors, with agriculture playing a significant role through products such as coffee, tea, spices, seafood, fruits and vegetables, rice, and so on.

However, this is also the market with the strictest standards for imported agricultural products and food, particularly focusing on regulations such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). To maintain presence in the EU market, Vietnamese businesses need to continuously innovate production and ensure environmental and social criteria, Lang noted.

In fact, the continuous growth of Vietnam’s agricultural sector with steadily increasing export turnover in recent years has demonstrated its adaptation to market changes and shifting consumer trends globally. In 2024, many agricultural products achieved record turnover, far exceeding 2023, such as fruit and vegetables, rice, and coffee. Notably, for rice, Vietnam’s export rice prices have consistently led the world since 2023. From a country focused on quantity exports, Vietnam has risen to become a rice exporter focusing on quality, meeting diverse requirements of many markets such as the EU, Japan, and the US.

In addition to familiar markets, Vietnamese agricultural products are also finding opportunities in new potential markets with high per capita income, such as the Halal Islamic market and Middle Eastern countries. Yousif Alharbi, Director of the Halal Centre (Saudi Food and Drug Authority), observed that Vietnam is emerging as an important player in the global Halal supply chain. Meanwhile, Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, also affirmed that Vietnam will gradually conquer high-requirement markets to further increase the export value of agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

In 2024, Vietnam has signed additional protocols for official agricultural exports to China; the Vietnam-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) — the first free trade agreement between Vietnam and an Arab country — has also been signed. These will serve as important platforms for Vietnamese agricultural products to reach global markets, where green products with reduced emissions and reduced carbon footprints will have tremendous advantages and value.

Vietnam is currently the first country in the world to implement a large-scale high-quality, low-emission rice production programme with the goal of reaching one million hectares by 2030. This will serve as a green certification to further increase the value of rice and create strong appeal for importing markets.