Transforming the Rice Value Chain in the Mekong Delta (TRVC)

As a pioneering initiative, TRVC aims to support a shift to low-emission rice production over 200,000 hectares by 2028, contributing to the ambition of the Government of Vietnam to reach one million hectares of high quality and low emission rice in the Mekong Delta.

Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), TRVC is a five-year project (2023-2027) supporting the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient agricultural landscapes and livelihoods in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The project is implemented by the SNV, in collaboration with the Plant Production and Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as well as the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang and Dong Thap provinces. 

Rice has been central to Vietnam’s economic growth since the mid-1980s, contributing significantly to poverty reduction and food security. However, the sector is facing increasing challenges from climate change and unsustainable production practices, particularly in the Mekong Delta–the country’s main rice-production region. Smallholder farmers are experiencing declining profitability due to rising production costs, inefficient use of water and agricultural inputs, soil degradation, and increasing climate-related risks such as floods and droughts. At the same time, rice cultivation remains a major source of methane and nitrous oxide emissions, posing challenges to achieving both production goals and Vietnam’s climate commitments. 

In response, the TRVC project adopts a systemic, market-driven, and multi-stakeholder approach to accelerate the transformation of Vietnam’s rice sector toward greater sustainability. Using a Pay-for-Results mechanism, TRVC incentivises private enterprises in the Rice Value Chain (RVC) to scale-up innovative technologies and practices to achieve higher economic outcomes for smallholder farmers and RVC actors, improve rice quality, promote inclusive social values, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigate the environmental footprint of rice production.   

Beyond short-term incentives, TRVC demonstrates the long-term business value of sustainable rice value chains, encouraging enterprises to expand investments in low-emission rice production. Through robust Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and credible certification, TRVC generates verified evidence of emissions reductions, enabling enterprises to access premium markets and green finance opportunities while enhancing the value and competitiveness of Vietnamese rice.  

The project focuses on:

• Pre-competitive awareness-raising, public-private coordination & capacity development 

Raise awareness, strengthen stakeholder engagement and public-private coordination, and build the capacity of RVC companies and other stakeholders on low-emission rice production, MRV, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), and environmental and social safeguards to support effective prize competition implementation and the scaling of low-emission rice production. 

• Prize competition over six seasonal crops 

Six seasonal crop competitions incentivise RVC companies to adopt and scale low-emission rice production. Participating companies strengthen market linkages through the establishment of offtake agreements, provide training and advancement services, and integrate measures that enhance environmental and social performance across their supply chains. 

• Contribution to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), rice MRV, and enabling framework for low-carbon production and branding  

Support the development of low-carbon enabling environment by establishing a carbon project registry and reporting mechanisms for NDC contribution, informing the development of a national rice MRV system, strengthening regulatory frameworks for carbon project registration and benefit distribution, and facilitating certification and market development for high-quality low-carbon r

The TRVC project aims to support the implementation of low-emission rice production across a cumulative area of 200,000 hectares over six cropping seasons, engaging 10–20 lead competitors and partners, 50–60 cooperatives and farmer groups, and 200,000 households. 

The project seeks to deliver comprehensive outcomes across three dimensions: 

• Economic: ensuring at least 30% profit for farmers; 

• Social: promoting Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI); 

• Environmental: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 200,000 tCO₂e 

Together, these outcomes contribute to the Government of Vietnam’s Program on the Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Associated with Green Growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030.