Vietnamese Rice Achieves Unprecedented Global Milestone

Vietnam’s rice industry is witnessing a significant shift towards aligning agricultural production with emission reduction goals. A notable milestone has been achieved with 71,000 tons of rice certified under the “Green Vietnamese Rice, Low Emissions” label. This announcement by the Vietnam Rice Industry Association (VIETRISA) highlights Vietnam’s initial efforts to reposition its rice value chain towards greater sustainability.

The certified rice varieties primarily include high-quality strains such as OM18, Dai Thom 8, DS1, ST25, and Japanese varieties (Hana, Akita, Koshi) developed by Agrimex-Kitoku. The expansion into imported varieties demonstrates Vietnamese enterprises’ proactive approach to targeting premium market segments, where environmental and emission standards are increasingly mandatory.

This certification is a cornerstone of the 1 Million Hectare Program, a government-supported initiative aimed at developing one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta by 2030. The “Green Vietnamese Rice, Low Emissions” label is built on traceability and emission control. VIETRISA grants certification to products that fully meet the program’s technical standards, with evaluations conducted by local authorities or recognized international organizations.

Certified rice must clearly identify its production area, rice variety, and season, while adhering to low-emission cultivation practices such as efficient water management, reduced chemical fertilizer use, and minimizing post-harvest straw burning. These measures aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, in rice production.

According to VIETRISA representatives, the association has issued certification labels to 8 enterprises, covering a total cultivation area of approximately 18,000 hectares. These enterprises are currently exporting around 70,000 tons of low-emission rice, out of approximately 400 rice exporting companies nationwide.

VIETRISA notes that Vietnam is the first country globally to implement low-emission rice production and export under a national certification framework. Although the number of participating enterprises is still limited, this export activity is considered an initial step in systematically integrating emission factors into agricultural trade.

For international importers and investors, low-emission certification provides a more reliable signal compared to voluntary environmental claims, as emission metrics are directly linked to traceable cultivation practices rather than relying on carbon offset mechanisms.