Germany-backed ODA project targets carbon offsetting in Viet Nam’s rice sector

Rice cultivation is one of the largest sources of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions but also an area with significant mitigation potential.

Building a platform for knowledge exchange on low-emission rice

The project, titled Carbon Offsetting Rice Emissions in Viet Nam (CORE Viet Nam), will be financed entirely by non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) from the German government and implemented through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). It will be carried out nationwide, with coordination based in Hanoi, and is scheduled to run until June 2026.

CORE Viet Nam is part of a broader global programme, “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing value for smallholder farmers in India, Nigeria and globally”, funded by the Federal Government of Germany. Viet Nam’s participation focuses on rice, a strategic commodity for food security and exports, while also being a major contributor to methane emissions from agriculture.

According to the approved project document, CORE Viet Nam aims to establish and strengthen mechanisms for knowledge and experience exchange between Asian and African countries on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from rice production.

The project is designed as a technical assistance initiative, prioritising capacity building, digital knowledge sharing and institutional cooperation rather than physical infrastructure investment. Digital technologies and gender integration are embedded across activities to support inclusive knowledge management and transfer.

At the core of the project is the ambition to position Viet Nam not only as a recipient of international climate finance but also as an active contributor to South-South cooperation in low-emission rice production.

CORE Viet Nam is structured around three main objectives.

First, the project seeks to promote South-South cooperation in agriculture by supporting the development of a national action plan on South-South cooperation, with rice identified as a priority value chain. This includes organising experience-sharing activities among Asian and African countries engaged in rice production and climate mitigation.

Second, the project aims to advance public–private partnerships (PPP) to apply emission-reduction solutions in rice farming. These efforts are intended to strengthen organisational capacity in low-emission rice production and enhance production-consumption linkages aligned with climate objectives.

Third, CORE Viet Nam focuses on developing and maintaining a digital learning platform to support domestic and international training and knowledge exchange on sustainable, low-emission rice production. The platform will leverage existing training infrastructure and connect a network of experts across the rice value chain.

One of the project’s central components is the development of a national action plan on South-South cooperation in agriculture, with a strong emphasis on rice.

Under this component, a series of studies will be conducted to assess Viet Nam’s current programmes and projects supporting rice development in African countries. The research will also evaluate African partners’ understanding of rice production linked to food security and emission reduction, and identify gaps, challenges and cooperation needs.

In parallel, the project will review the current application of carbon mitigation solutions and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems in Viet Nam’s rice sector. These assessments are expected to inform policy recommendations aimed at sustaining and scaling up emission-reduction practices and MRV adoption.

As part of this process, management mechanisms for South-South and triangular cooperation projects will be developed and integrated into the Ministry’s action plan. The operational regulations of the Ministry’s South - South Working Group will also be formalised.

Piloting PPP models and MRV in rice production

Beyond policy and planning, CORE Viet Nam includes pilot activities with private-sector partners to test low-emission rice production models. These pilots combine training, field-level experimentation and the trial application of MRV systems in real production settings.

The project document specifies that lessons learned from these pilots will be systematically documented to support replication and information sharing. The intention is not to create large-scale demonstration farms, but to generate practical experience and technical references that can inform broader adoption of low-emission practices.

MRV is identified as a cross-cutting element throughout the project. Viet Nam’s experience with MRV in rice production will be shared and compared with approaches used in other participating countries, particularly Thailand, India and Nigeria.

CORE Viet Nam also places emphasis on international learning through study visits and regional events.

Viet Nam will host learning visits for partner countries involved in the global CORE programme, including Nigeria, India and Thailand. These visits are expected to focus on Viet Nam’s policy framework for carbon credits and MRV in rice production, as well as its experience in organising training services for sustainable, low-emission rice farming.

In addition, Viet Nam will participate in regional events dedicated to MRV and low-emission agriculture in the rice sector. These forums provide opportunities to exchange experiences on policy frameworks, enabling environments and MRV methodologies related to greenhouse gas accounting and potential carbon credit development.

A distinct feature of CORE Viet Nam is the development of an online learning library covering three thematic areas related to sustainable, low-emission rice production.

The training materials will be made available in English, Vietnamese and French, reflecting the project’s international scope and its focus on South-South knowledge exchange. Topics will include advanced technical solutions for low-emission rice farming and MRV methodologies, among others.

The digital platform is intended to serve both domestic and international audiences, supporting continuous learning and expanding access to technical knowledge without the constraints of location-based training.

The total budget for CORE Viet Nam is €420,000, equivalent to approximately VND 12.3 billion (around USD 490,000). All funding is provided as non-refundable ODA from the German government. No counterpart funding from Viet Nam’s state budget is required.

Financial management and implementation of the ODA funds will be handled directly by GIZ, in accordance with German development cooperation regulations.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Viet Nam is the project’s supervising authority, while the Viet Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences has been appointed as the project owner. The academy will coordinate with GIZ and relevant domestic and international partners, and establish a project team to support implementation, monitoring and compliance with ODA management regulations.

By design, CORE Viet Nam does not focus on infrastructure investment but on strengthening institutions, technical capacity and knowledge systems related to low-emission rice production.

Through its emphasis on MRV, digital learning and international knowledge exchange, the project reflects a broader shift in development cooperation towards supporting policy frameworks, technical standards and human capacity in climate-smart agriculture.

The project is expected to conclude in June 2026, with outputs including policy studies, pilot models, training materials and strengthened cooperation mechanisms that can support Viet Nam’s longer-term efforts to reduce emissions in its rice sector while maintaining productivity and livelihoods.