Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung points out 5 highlights from the Green Innovation project

On March 10, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in collaboration with the GIZ Organization and the Can Tho City People's Committee, held a conference to summarize the Green Innovation Centres (GIC) project. The conference aims to evaluate the results of the project implementation, learn lessons, and propose replication solutions to sustainably develop and improve competitive efficiency in the future.

The conference was attended by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung, leaders of departments and institutes under the Ministry, representatives of the Ministry of Finance, representatives of six Mekong Delta provinces, and businesses and cooperatives participating in the project. On the international organization side, there was the participation of representatives of the German Embassy and GIC Project in Vietnam.

Starting step in thinking conversion

The GIC Vietnam project is a part of the "Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector" program belonging to the global initiative "One World – No Hunger." The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

This is a project with practical significance, making an important contribution to the sustainable development of six provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, including An Giang, Kien Giang, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Can Tho city.

The project has promoted innovation through the implementation of 10 advanced solutions for farmer households, including 6 solutions for the rice value chain and 4 solutions for the mango value chain.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung said that the project is an important starting step for managers, cooperatives, farmers, and businesses to change from agricultural production thinking to economic thinking, towards developing circular agriculture and increasing product value.

"Vietnam's agricultural sector will surely aim for a green, clean, organic, and circular production to raise income for farmers," said the Deputy Minister.

Contribute to restructuring the agricultural sector

Providing information at the event, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc He said that after 4 years of implementation, the project has brought many practical results. The income of small production households has improved significantly; farmers have more jobs and stable income sources; and the resistance of the rice value chain has been enhanced. At the same time, production and business models become more competitive and reduce the impact on the environment. In addition to the measurable results, the project also brings great value through the close cooperation between the German Embassy in Vietnam, the GIZ Organization, and German experts in six Mekong Delta provinces.

"The close cooperation, along with the dynamic, creative spirit and the persistency of participating parties, is the tool and useful solution to help the city implement the agricultural restructuring program effectively," Mr. He said.

In Dong Thap, in 3 years of project implementation, the province has organized 195 training courses and equipped farmers with knowledge and skills, with more than 6,000 farmers participating, of which 75% are older.

The province has also implemented many sustainable production models, including the "Rice production according to SRP standards" model at Phu Tho Cooperative. This model has helped increase profits by VND 2.9 million/ha, reduce costs and production costs, and expand the area to 120 ha. The straw after harvest is collected to produce mushrooms and serve as traditional organic fertilizer compost materials.

Besides, the "Producing and trading organic growing media from straw after mushroom planting" model at Tan Binh Cooperative also brings high efficiency, with an output of 150-200 tons/year and a profit of VND 120 million/year.

For mango trees, the "Applying sustainable farming techniques on Cat Chu mango" model helps reduce 50% of fertilizer, save irrigation water, increase productivity to 15.6 tons/ha, and improve product quality. Especially, thanks to the application of post-harvest storage technology, mango storage time is lasting from 7 days to 21 days, supporting exports to markets such as Australia, the US, and South Korea.

"From the achieved results, Dong Thap has learned many important lessons. In which, not burning straw but using biological preparations to decompose quickly helps reduce environmental pollution, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the soil's fertility. At the same time, applying mechanization in collecting and reusing straw not only helps cooperatives expand business activities but also creates more jobs and increases the income for farmers," evaluated Mr. Tran Thanh Tam, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Important points drawn from the project

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung indicated five important points drawn from the project implementation practice.

First, the biggest success of the project is the orientation of changing farmers' production thinking and methods.

Second, the project has supported the provision of easy-to-understand and easy-to-access guidelines, helping farmers and cooperatives improve their knowledge effectively. With more than 200,000 trained farmers, the project has made an important contribution to raising people's awareness and production capacity.

Third, the digitalization and quantification of production and business activities have helped farmers change their thinking and clarify input and output value, thereby improving economic efficiency.

Fourth, the expansion of the project plays an important role. When the project ends, the question is whether these models can continue to replicate. According to the Deputy Minister, this is an important premise for future sustainable development.

Fifth, the project has helped to detect more issues that need to continue to be researched and implemented, opening new directions for the agricultural sector and contributing to bringing agricultural production to develop in the direction of modernity, efficiency, and sustainability.

Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung suggested that the provincial governments continue to accompany, not let the project end, but need to replicate and mobilize many resources to implement. Strengthen solutions to remove obstacles to promote innovation, strengthen cooperation, and expand relations with international partners. Relevant units discuss with the German Embassy about the next cooperation programs.

"Vietnam's agricultural sector should not focus on output but needs to increase the product value from green transformation so that farmers can smile on their fields," noted the Deputy Minister.

In order to recognize and commend individuals and collectives that have made an important contribution to the project, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung awarded the Medal "For the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development" to Ms. Sonja Esche, Director of the GIC Vietnam Project. In addition, 14 individuals and organizations with outstanding achievements in the project also received a certificate of merit from the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development.

*USD 1 = VND 25,310 (Exchange rate updated on March 11, 2025; Source: Vietcombank)