Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the “Transforming Rice Value Chains for Climate Resilient and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC)” Project is implemented by the Netherlands Development Organisation SNV in Vietnam, in close coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang and Dong Thap provinces. Implemented over a five-year period from 2023 to 2027, the Project aims to support a transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient agricultural landscapes and livelihoods in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
Using an innovative Pay-for-Results mechanism, the TRVC Project incentivises and attracts the participation of companies operating across the rice value chain to accelerate the large-scale adoption of sustainable rice production technologies and practices. This approach aims to generate higher economic value for smallholder farmers and value chain actors, improve rice quality, and strengthen inclusive social outcomes, while simultaneously achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction and environmental protection as key co-benefits. As such, the Project serves as a catalyst for transforming rice production and business practices towards greater sustainability and inclusiveness in An Giang and Dong Thap - the two provinces with the largest rice cultivation areas in the Mekong Delta. TRVC thereby contributes to the Government of Vietnam’s sustainable development and climate adaptation objectives for the Mekong Delta region.
Since August 2023, the TRVC Project has initiated the selection of participating companies (hereinafter referred to as “Competitors”) to implement sustainable rice farming practices that integrate input management, rice straw management, and advanced cultivation techniques such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), alongside other improved practices aligned with the High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Production Procedures for the Mekong Delta Region under the 1 Million Hectares Rice Program (“1 Million Hectares Procedures”). These practices are being implemented over six consecutive cropping seasons, from the Summer–Autumn Season of 2024 to the Winter–Spring Season of 2026–2027. To date, the Project has completed the third cropping season — the Summer–Autumn Season of 2025, (implemented from January to October 2025), with the participation of 10 Competitors. All participating companies successfully met the project’s key performance criteria, including ensuring a minimum 30% profit margin for smallholder farmers; integrating Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) policies within their companies and value chain partnerships; and achieving greenhouse gas emission reductions verified through independent verification by Regrow Agriculture Inc. (Regrow) (US).
On 19 May 2026 in Can Tho City, SNV organised the Award Ceremony for the Summer–Autumn Season Of 2025 (Season 3) to recognise companies demonstrating outstanding performance in partnering with smallholder farmers to implement sustainable rice farming practices aimed at increasing profitability, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring social inclusion outcomes, while contributing to the advancement of a sustainable rice value chain in line with the objectives of the TRVC Project.
The event brought together more than 100 representatives from Project Donor - the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Government agencies, research institutes and universities, the private sector, and non-government organisations that share a common vision for promoting improved rice cultivation practices to enhance rice quality, strengthen inclusive social outcomes, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Ms. Madeleine Plocki, Second Secretary of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and Representative of the Project Donor, delivered remarks at the event.
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hương, Deputy Director General of the Department of Plant Production and Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, delivered remarks at the event.
Results of Summer–Autumn Season of 2025 (Season 3)
In the Summer – Autumn Season of 2024, the TRVC Project’s independent Verifier, Regrow, calculated and consolidated results from each enrolled area of competitors. The efforts of competitors and farmers collaborating with them have yielded positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes. Through the implementation of sustainable rice production practices, rice cultivated by farmers linked with competitors during the Summer–Autumn Season of 2025 achieved lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional farming practices.In terms of economic outcomes, the average profit margin achieved by smallholder farmers reached 49.27% in Dong Thap Province and 51.58% in An Giang Province. In terms of environmental outcomes, the total verified greenhouse gas emission reduction achieved was 164,494.41 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Regarding social outcomes, 100% of participating companies integrated policies and implemented measures to promote social inclusion and equity within their internal operations and across value chain partnerships in the Project areas. These results demonstrate the strong commitment and leadership of companies in strengthening production linkages with farming households, under the effective coordination and timely support of the Provincial Project Management Units of Dong Thap and An Giang.
The TRVC Project established a minimum target of 30% profit margin for smallholder farmers; however, Season 3’s results on farmer profitability have significantly exceeded expectations. During the Summer–Autumn Season of 2025, the average profit margin achieved by participating smallholder farmers reached 50.79%.
Vietnam Rice Company Limited (VINARICE) achieved the highest overall award performance, with 27,002.95 hectares of registered competition area, delivering an average greenhouse gas emission reduction of 3.76 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare and an average farmer profit margin of 49.04%.
Enterprises participating in the TRVC Project receive Season 3 Award certificates
Ms. Christie Getman – Country Director, SNV Vietnam, remarked that:
With the close coordination of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, local authorities, Provincial Project Management Units, and relevant departments and agencies in Dong Thap and An Giang provinces, together with the active participation of companies and farmers, the TRVC Project continues to record significant expansion in implementation area across successive cropping seasons. In the Winter–Spring Season of 2025–2026 (Season 4), the total registered area across the two provinces reached 66,064.64 hectares. Cumulatively, after four cropping seasons, the project has achieved a total implementation area of 150,523.54 hectares, equivalent to 75.26% of the overall project objective. These results demonstrate the practical effectiveness and scalability of the low-emission rice production model, while highlighting its strong potential for wider replication towards the sustainable development of the rice sector in the Mekong Delta.“Through three seasons of implementation, the TRVC Project has demonstrated that change is possible when businesses, cooperatives, farmers, government and development partners all work together. Participating companies, our TRVC competitors have tested improved rice production models, promoted more efficient use of seed, fertilizer, and water, strengthened farmers’ linkages, and helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving profitability and productivity. Particularly over the last three seasons, the TRVC project has generated concrete and measurable results that contribute directly to Vietnam's 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emissions rice programme.”
These results represent an important contribution to the transition towards a low-emission rice production system and support the implementation of the Program on sustainable development of 01 million hectares for specialized farming of rice with high quality and low emission associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030 (The 1 Million Hectares Rice Program), led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. More broadly, the efforts of companies participating in the TRVC Project also contribute directly to global climate change mitigation efforts by supporting Vietnam’s commitments announced at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), including limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C and reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
Other highlights from the event:
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