Vietnam set to export first shipment of low-emission rice

The "Green and Low-Emission Vietnam Rice" brand has officially entered the export market, marking the initial successes of the project titled "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice cultivation linked to green growth in the Mekong Delta region by 2030" (One Million Hectare Rice Project).

Over two years of implementation, the One Million Hectare Rice Project has had a positive impact on two key elements: the rice grain and the farmers. Its goals include ensuring national food security, providing nutrition for the people, generating income for producers, protecting the environment, reducing emissions, and securing export potential. Accordingly, the project has identified the development of an environmentally friendly, high-quality rice brand as a key strategy to win over global customers.

Recently, to support the One Million Hectare Rice Project in a timely manner, VIETRISA, encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, developed the "Green and Low-Emission Vietnam Rice" brand. The brand has been supported through collaboration with the Ministry and international organizations, including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) within the framework of the Transforming Rice Value Chain (TRVC) Project, and the World Bank.

This support reflects the international community's commitment to working with Vietnam to transform its agricultural value chains toward sustainability and climate resilience.

VIETRISA completed and issued the Regulation on the use of the "Green and Low-Emission Vietnam Rice" brand on April 16, 2025. The brand is granted by VIETRISA to rice products produced according to the technical procedures of the 1 million hectare project, as verified by local authorities (commune level) or by specialized international organizations.

To obtain brand certification, enterprises and cooperatives must ensure the origin and transparency of the rice production area, the name of the rice variety, and the crop season. Additionally, production must comply with the technical procedures issued by the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) under Decision No. 145/QD-TT-CLT dated March 27, 2024.

Furthermore, units must regularly update production data in the centralized management system to support monitoring, evaluation, and the development of annual carbon reports, with the goal of preparing for the future carbon credit market.

Sharing with the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature Newspaper, Mr. Le Thanh Tung, Standing Vice President and General Secretary of VIETRISA, stated that labeling will serve as a stepping stone for VIETRISA to continue supporting the national brand strategy, which aims to recognize low-emission rice with a carbon credit trading value by 2028.

This opens up opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to participate more deeply in the global carbon market while increasing the added value of agricultural products, especially high-quality rice from the Mekong Delta.

"The certification of green, low-emission Vietnamese rice will be issued by VIETRISA, ensuring transparency and reliability. In the absence of a national certification system for low-carbon rice, enterprises may self-declare their green rice brands and take responsibility for their declarations," Mr. Le Thanh Tung stated.

After issuing the brand usage regulation, VIETRISA, in cooperation with the TRVC Project, granted certificates for the right to use the "Green low-emission Vietnamese rice" brand to seven enterprises, with a total rice volume of 19,200 tons. Among them, Trung An Company, in cooperation with the MURASE Group (Japan), became the first enterprise to export a shipment bearing the "Green and Low-Emission Vietnam Rice" label to the Japanese market.

This is clear evidence that the international market, especially countries with high standards such as Japan, is ready to welcome and highly appreciate low-emission agricultural products from Vietnam.

The export ceremony for Vietnam's first low-emission rice shipment was held at the Trung An Company’s factory, where delegates witnessed the ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the convoy transporting the "Green and Low-Emission Vietnam Rice" shipment from the factory to the port for export. They also toured Trung An's rice processing facility to observe the internationally standardized production process from raw material reception to export packaging.

Mr. Le Thanh Tung explained that in the 1 million hectare project, the concept of "low-emission rice" has been mentioned multiple times. Vietnam is piloting the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system, but this roadmap will not complete the payment, measurement, and valuation mechanisms until 2028.

However, building the green, low-emission Vietnamese rice brand can begin immediately. This means that when businesses or farmers engage in low-emission cultivation and strictly follow the procedures, it will certainly yield positive results.

The low-emission rice brand will be developed at multiple levels, starting with the enterprises themselves. Businesses participating in the One Million Hectare Rice Project must affirm the quality of their products to their customers.