Asia discusses solutions for low-carbon agriculture development

On the morning of November 6, the scientific seminar for the International Society of Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS) 2025 took place at the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture, under the theme: "Developing Agriculture with Low Carbon Emissions in Asia."

The seminar, hosted by the ISSAAS Viet Nam Chapter, convened hundreds of scientists, managers, research fellows, and students from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, South Korea, and many other nations.

Prof. Dr. Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture and Chairman of the ISSAAS Viet Nam Chapter, emphasized that this year's theme was selected amid a global drive to transition toward green, circular, and low-carbon agriculture. This transition is aimed at achieving sustainable development goals and responding effectively to climate change.

"The seminar is not only a venue for sharing research results but also a forum to expand international cooperation in training, research, and agricultural technology transfer," Dr. Cuong affirmed.

During the opening session, delegates listened to a summary report of the ISSAAS Association’s 2025 activities. They also presented the 2025 Matsuda Award to Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Vien, former Chairman of the ISSAAS Viet Nam Chapter, and the 2025 Outstanding Young Scientist Award to distinguished researchers in the region.

This year's event featured 200 scientific reports and over 50 posters, covering fields such as crop science, genetics and breeding, plant protection, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, aquaculture, food technology, environmental science, agricultural mechanization, agricultural economics and policy, agricultural management, biotechnology, pedology (soil science), smart agriculture, and digital transformation.

Prof. Dr. Pham Van Cuong shared that the seminar is a place for scientists to voluntarily participate, exchange knowledge, learn from experience, and expand professional collaboration. "Through these academic exchange activities, we can promote the image of the country, the people, and Viet Nam’s agriculture, a sector moving toward greening and low-carbon emissions, thereby contributing alongside the region and the world to the goal of global emissions reduction," he stated.

The ISSAAS Association was established in 1994 with the goal of building a cooperation network among scientists in Southeast Asian agriculture. Key members include Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, with Cambodia joining in 2023. The ISSAAS seminar is held annually, rotating among member countries.

In 2024, the seminar marking the Association’s 30th anniversary was held at the Tokyo University of Agriculture in Japan with the theme: “ISSAAS in 2024 and beyond: Agricultural Science for Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia.” At that event, the ISSAAS Viet Nam Chapter received the rotating flag to host the ISSAAS 2025 seminar, marking Viet Nam’s increasingly prominent role in the regional agricultural science community.

Consequently, the ISSAAS 2025 seminar is not only an occasion for scientists to present their latest research but also a step forward in affirming the academic standing of the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture, contributing to the promotion of regional cooperation toward the goal of green, sustainable, and low-emission agricultural development.

The focus of ISSAAS 2025 on low-carbon agriculture underscores the urgent climate imperative facing Asia. As the world’s most populous continent and a crucial global food basket, the region is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and water scarcity. Simultaneously, agricultural practices, particularly rice paddy cultivation and livestock farming, are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, notably methane. Consequently, the transition to green, low-emission models is not merely an environmental goal but an existential necessity to ensure food security and economic stability for billions.

Hosting the ISSAAS conference reaffirms Viet Nam’s commitment to sustainable development, particularly following its pledge at COP26 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is actively translating this national commitment into concrete sector-specific programs. For instance, the government is prioritizing the development of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta, the nation's primary food production hub. This initiative involves promoting sustainable practices like the "1 Must, 5 Reductions" model (reducing water, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, and post-harvest loss), which drastically cuts methane emissions and input costs, making farming both climate-resilient and more profitable.

Beyond policy, the seminar served as a platform for sharing practical technological solutions that will define the future of low-carbon farming. Discussions highlighted the importance of smart agriculture and digital transformation, utilizing tools like remote sensing, big data, and artificial intelligence to enable precision farming and optimize resource use. Furthermore, delegates explored the potential for creating robust carbon credit markets tailored to the agricultural sector, offering farmers a direct financial incentive to adopt climate-friendly practices. By fostering deeper cooperation in research and technology transfer, the ISSAAS network aims to operationalize these solutions, positioning Asian agriculture to not only feed the world but to do so while leading the charge in global climate action.