VCCI and Oxfam develop GoRice Project implementation plan to promote a low-emission rice value chain in the Mekong Delta
On the morning of August 14, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in collaboration with Oxfam in Vietnam, held a planning meeting to discuss the implementation of the GoRice Project – a component aimed at promoting private sector engagement in developing low emission rice value chains.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang and Can Tho provinces, the Institute of Environment and Agricultural Resources, as well as businesses and cooperatives operating across the rice value chain in the Mekong Delta.
The GoRice project aims to enhance the socio-economic and environmental well-being of rice producers, especially women and ethnic minorities, through inclusive and climate-smart rice production practices in the Mekong Delta. The project is designed around a multi-stakeholder partnership model that involves government agencies, businesses, research institutions, and farmers to foster sustainable development of the rice sector.
Nguyen Trung Thuc, Director of the Project Management Unit under the VCCI Component, emphasized the goal of establishing a genuinely functioning low-emission rice value chain in which farmers, cooperatives, and businesses transparently share benefits, costs, and risks. VCCI also expects to strengthen cooperation with Canada in areas such as agricultural technology, Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems for emissions, green finance, and market connectivity.
Nguyen Thi Lien, GoRice Project Manager at Oxfam in Vietnam, presented an overview of the GoRice Project and its key objectives
Luong Dinh Lan, Senior Program Manager-Resilience/Natura at Oxfam in Vietnam, shared insights on the project's multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism, highlighting the importance of collaboration among government agencies, businesses, research institutions, cooperatives, and farmers to drive the development of a sustainable, low-emission, and climate-resilient rice value chain in the Mekong Delta.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, Project Coordinator at VCCI, presented the project component implemented by VCCI
Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Hoai Chau, Senior Development Officer at the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam highlighted that Canada’s support goes beyond financial contributions. The Government of Canada also hopes to facilitate the sharing of Canadian expertise and technologies in agriculture and food, including emissions measurement, fertilizer use, and post-harvest technologies.
She emphasized that a market-based approach, access to green finance, and strong collaboration among local authorities, government agencies, and businesses will be key to making the most of growing funding opportunities for low emission agriculture in Vietnam. She also expressed hope that the project will contribute to developing a standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system for emissions in the country.
Nguyen Hoai Chau, Senior Development Officer at the Embassy of Canada
Tran Thanh Hiep, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang Province, affirmed that the GoRice Project is well aligned with Vietnam’s “One million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice” initiative. He also highlighted a major challenge in the implementation of the initiative: building stronger links between businesses and other actors in the agricultural ecosystem and improving access to green finance. In practice, very few businesses or cooperatives have been able to access green credit under Decree 55. He further emphasized the importance of agricultural inputs as a key part of the green agriculture ecosystem.
Participants also highlighted the important role of businesses in driving change across the rice value chain and creating higher value products that deliver fair returns to farmers.
Pham Thai Binh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Trung An High-Tech Farming Joint Stock Company, highly appreciated the relevance and timeliness of the GoRice Project, emphasizing the importance of its swift implementation to support the transition toward a sustainable and low-emission rice value chain in the Mekong Delta.
Vo Van Vang, Deputy Director of the Vinh Binh Raw Material Area at Loc Troi Group, shared that the company currently operates rice production areas in An Giang and Can Tho under the “One million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice” initiative. Participants also highlighted the important role of businesses in driving change across the rice value chain and creating higher value products that deliver fair returns to farmers.
Nguyen Danh Dung, Director of Tien Dung Cooperative in Can Tho City, shared that the cooperative has been participating in the “One million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice” initiative. He welcomed GoRice’s focus on expanding the participation of women and ethnic minorities, many of whom are involved in local agricultural production but still face difficult circumstances. The cooperative committed to actively supporting women’s participation in the project.
He also called for fairer purchasing prices for low emission rice and suggested that the project support farmers with technical guidance and work with businesses to develop fairer purchasing contracts for farmers.
Nguyen Thanh Nhi, Chief Executive Officer of Thai An Food Agricultural Processing Joint Stock Company, emphasized that the project should prioritize benefits for farmers, followed by businesses. He suggested starting with concrete models and reviewing previous programs to identify ways to better serve farmers’ interests, including reducing the use of key inputs such as fertilizer and water, which remain heavily used in rice production. He committed to working alongside farmers and cooperatives to offer better prices for their rice and connect their products with higher value markets.
The “Greening our rice: Gender-just, low-carbon, rice value chains in Vietnam” (GoRice) Project is implemented from 2025 to 2030 in Can Tho, An Giang, and Vinh Long provinces. The project is expected to benefit more than 48,000 rice producers, apply low-emission farming techniques across 180,000 hectares of rice-growing land, and reduce approximately 748,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the project is implemented by the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang, Vinh Long, and Can Tho; Oxfam in Vietnam; the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI); and the Institute of Environment and Agricultural Resources.