How Vietnamese farmers reducing methane emissions by altering rice growing methods

60-year-old Vietnamese rice farmer Vo Van Van is experimenting with new techniques, using less water and drones for fertilization, in hopes of addressing a dilemma in rice farming. While rice is highly sensitive to climate change, it also significantly contributes to it. The crop must be grown in flooded fields, which requires intensive labour and water, while generating methane—a powerful greenhouse gas that traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

What sets his rice fields apart from the thousands of other lush fields in Long An province, located in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, where 90 per cent of Vietnam’s exported rice is farmed, is that his are not completely flooded. The AP publication has taken a closer look at his farming technique.

This issue is specific to rice cultivation, as the flooded fields prevent oxygen from reaching the soil, creating an environment where methane-producing bacteria thrive. According to a 2023 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization, rice paddies account for 8 per cent of all human-made methane emissions.

For the last two years, Van has partnered with Loc Troi Group, one of Vietnam's largest rice exporters, and adopted alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation. AWD uses less water compared to traditional methods, as it doesn’t require fields to remain submerged, and it produces lower methane emissions.

The use of drones for fertilization also helps to reduce labour costs, which have increased due to migration caused by climate shocks. The drones ensure the correct amount of fertilizer is applied, preventing the soil from releasing nitrogen gases, which also contribute to global warming.

Van no longer burns the rice stubble after harvest, a practice that contributed to significant air pollution in Vietnam and neighbouring countries like Thailand and India. Instead, the stubble is collected by Loc Troi Group and sold for use in animal feed or to grow straw mushrooms.

Van benefits in multiple ways. His costs have decreased while his yield remains unchanged, and the organic fertilizer allows him to sell his rice to European markets, where buyers are willing to pay more for organic products. He also enjoys more free time for personal gardening.

According to Loc Troi Group CEO Nguyen Duy Thuan, these methods allow farmers to use 40% less rice seed and 30 per cent less water, while also cutting down on pesticide, fertilizer, and labor expenses. The company plans to expand its efforts, increasing from 100 hectares to 300,000 hectares of farmland using these techniques.

Vietnam has set an ambitious goal to grow “high-quality, low-emission rice” on 1 million hectares by 2030. This would reduce production costs by 20 per cent and increase farmers' profits by $600 million.

The country recognized the need to transform its rice sector early on. As the largest rice exporter, surpassing both India and Thailand, Vietnam was the first to sign a 2021 pledge to reduce methane emissions at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow.

Though transitioning from traditional rice farming is costly, tackling methane emissions offers one of the most feasible, low-cost, and scalable solutions to climate change. The World Bank is supporting Vietnam’s initiatives and assisting Indonesia in expanding climate-resilient farming practices as part of a global effort to reduce methane emissions.

By Nazrin Sadigova