A farmer at work during rice harvest season in the Mekong Delta. (Source: VNA)

This also marks the initial success of the ‘Sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030’ project (referred to as the one-million-hectare rice project).

Chairman of the Vietnam Rice Industry Association (VIETRISA) Bui Ba Bong said that this would be a strategic milestone in building the Vietnamese rice brand, targeting high-end markets with strict carbon emission standards.

The trademark would be not just a commercial label, but a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Permanent Vice Chairman and General Secretary of VIETRISA Le Thanh Tung said that the association would issue the certification ‘Green and low-emission Vietnamese rice’ to ensure transparency and credibility.

In the absence of a national certification system for low-carbon rice, enterprises may self-declare their green rice branding and will be held accountable for their claims.

VIETRISA, in collaboration with the TRVC Project, granted certificates of the right to use the ‘Green and low-emission Vietnamese rice’ trademark to seven enterprises, accounting for 19,200 tonnes of rice.

The Trung An Company, in partnership with Japan’s MURASE Group, will become the first enterprise to export rice under this trademark to the Japanese market.

Over the past two years, the one-million-hectare project has delivered positive impacts to two key beneficiaries: the rice grain and the farmers. Its goals include ensuring national food security, meeting the population’s nutritional needs, increasing farmers' incomes, protecting the environment, reducing emissions and maintaining export capabilities.

With encouragement from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, and to promptly support the one-million-hectare project, VIETRISA developed the ‘Green and low-emission Vietnamese rice’ trademark.

To qualify for this certification, enterprises and cooperatives must ensure traceability, including the origin of rice production, rice variety and crop season. The production also must comply with technical protocols set by the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection.

“We are piloting a measurement, reporting and verification system, but this roadmap will not complete the mechanisms for payment, measurement and valuation until 2028,” Tung added.

However, building the ‘Green and low-emission Vietnamese rice’ trademark can begin immediately.