At a conference on the “2025-2035 low-emission crop production project” held on July 30, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) Hoang Trung cited 2020 greenhouse gas inventory data from the Institute of Agricultural Environment as showing that agricultural production emitted over 116.5 million tons of CO2 equivalent, with crop production accounting for 80 percent.
Without solutions, outdated farming practices harm the environment and create barriers for Vietnamese agricultural products in international markets, where demands for emission reductions, sustainability certifications, and carbon traceability are increasingly stringent, he noted.
To build a green, nature-harmonized, and globally competitive agriculture sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) has drafted the “2025-2035 low-emission crop production” project.
Trung said the goal of the project is to implement solutions to promote low-emission crop production, adapt to climate change, increase incomes, improve livelihoods, and ensure sustainable development.
This will enhance the competitiveness of the crop sector, secure national food security, and establish a modern, climate-resilient ecological agriculture system, contributing to Vietnam’s NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) commitments.
Under the project, Vietnam would reduce methane emissions by 30 percent by 2035 and total greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent compared to 2020, thus contributing to Vietnam’s NDC through technical measures tailored to ecological zones and crop groups.
It also plans to develop a “low-emission” label for crop products, establish at least 15 scalable low-emission production models across ecological zones, and pilot at least five farming models capable of generating internationally recognized carbon credits.
At least five low-emission production technical packages will be issued for 5 key crops, alongside a crop emission database linked to the national registry system.
Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director of the Crop Production and Plant Protection Department under MAE, said there are two options, applied nationwide. Option 1 targets five crops (rice, cassava, coffee, sugarcane, and bananas). Option 2 focuses on key crops with high potential for emission reduction and carbon credit generation.
Vietnam has several low-emission crop production models, but they remain experimental and fragmented.
Producing agricultural products with low emissions, carbon traceability, and environmental certifications can access high-value markets like the EU, Japan, and North America, with prices 10-25 percent higher than conventional products.
In addition, it contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that if solutions from the project are effective, it could help reduce 8-11 million tons of CO2 equivalent per year, increasing income for people and businesses.
Carbon credit exports
A representative from Lam Son Sugar JSC said the company has tested low-emission production on 500 hectares of sugarcane.
Since early 2025, it has signed contracts with international organizations, developed a standard low-emission organic sugarcane farming process, and is now seeking international certification. Once certified, the company can sell carbon credits, benefiting linked sugarcane farmers.
The representative noted that it took the company about a year of testing to build a standard emission reduction farming model. MAE’s issuing of standard production processes for each type of crop will help shorten the time and facilitate the calculation of the amount of emissions reduced.
They emphasized the significant potential for carbon credit sales in crop production. While domestic carbon credit trading is relatively smooth, international transactions face challenges due to Vietnam’s lack of a clear carbon credit export mechanism.
A legal framework for carbon credit exports is needed urgently, as this is a promising new avenue for Vietnamese agriculture amid growing global demand for carbon credits to meet emission reduction commitments.
At the forum, experts and businesses said there should be no restrictions on crops or scope of application. Along with that, the MRV system (measurement, reporting and verification) must be standardized and recognized globally. Only then can Vietnam measure emissions, thereby commercializing carbon credits in the international market.
The core factor to promote emission reduction production is to ensure clear economic benefits for farmers. Farmers, when seeing the effectiveness of cost reduction, increased selling price, and income from carbon credits, are expected to actively participate in the project.
Tam An
