Many areas in agriculture will be carbon certified and aim for Net Zero.

(TN&MT) - Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy believes that in the coming time, if we invest more and use organic fertilizers, biological pesticides, etc., applied to low-emission agriculture in general, we will have the potential to sell carbon credits and achieve the Net Zero target by 2050.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy answered questions from Vietnamese farmers at the forum "Listening to Farmers Speak" with the theme "Unlocking land resources, aiming for NetZero, protecting the rural environment".

Asking a question at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy - Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer of 2023, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative (Vinh Phuc) informed that the Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative is currently investing in developing raw material areas for mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming in several mountainous provinces such as Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai , and Cao Bang.

Mulberry trees are ancient in Vietnam. Although primarily grown for their leaves, they are always maintained with a minimum of five leaves at the end of the season, thus ensuring a consistently green surface.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy - Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer 2023, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative ( Vinh Phuc )

Mr. Huy cited that mulberry cultivation is currently generating a high income of up to 300 million VND per year, with a net profit of 180 million VND per year after deducting expenses. Furthermore, the entire mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing process minimizes the use of chemical fertilizers containing inorganic nitrogen, thus protecting the environment and enriching the soil. The cooperative is working with many provinces to export its products globally, highlighting the significant potential of our silk and silk products, especially in the Indian market.

“To ensure long-term effectiveness, we don't use pesticides, so the level of environmental protection is very good. Therefore, I would like to ask if large-scale strawberry cultivation areas can be measured and certified with carbon credits?” – farmer Nguyen Quoc Huy questioned.

Strawberry farming has very low emissions and the potential to sell carbon credits.

Responding to a question from delegate Nguyen Quoc Huy, an outstanding Vietnamese farmer of 2023 and Chairman and Director of Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative (Tam Dao, Vinh Phuc), Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy was very pleased with the question and information raised by delegate Huy: "Developing the area for mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming and aiming towards being granted and selling carbon credits."

Minister Do Duc Duy answers a question from delegate Nguyen Quoc Huy, outstanding Vietnamese farmer of 2023.

According to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, there is currently a high demand for mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming, both domestically and internationally. Especially in mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam such as Yen Bai, Lao Cai, and Vinh Phuc, where inefficient rice fields have been converted to mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming, yielding very high economic returns, estimated at 250 million to 300 million VND per hectare per year. This crop can thrive on hilly and sloping land, providing excellent economic benefits for farmers.

Particularly in Yen Bai, it has attracted large-scale silk reeling factories that produce high-quality silk for export to many countries around the world.

According to Minister Do Duc Duy, if we invest more and use organic fertilizers and biological pesticides in mulberry cultivation, emissions will be very low, thus creating potential for selling carbon credits. “In the near future, we will support localities and farmers. We aim to develop methods for issuing carbon certificates for mulberry cultivation and silkworm farming areas, contributing to achieving the Net Zero target by 2050,” Minister Do Duc Duy stated.

Minister Do Duc Duy stated that not only this sector but also many other sectors in agriculture will be granted carbon certification and achieve the Net Zero target by 2050.

There will be guidelines to help farmers implement production aimed at achieving Net Zero goals.

Responding to questions and suggestions from delegates regarding farmers implementing production towards the Net Zero goal, Mr. Tang The Cuong, Director of the Climate Change Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), stated:

Mr. Tang The Cuong - Director of the Climate Change Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment)

The topic of climate change adaptation in agricultural production is receiving significant attention from ministries, sectors, and localities. Because low emissions in agriculture are linked to local development, the Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are implementing numerous solutions to reduce emissions. In the overall structure of greenhouse gas emissions, energy accounts for the largest share at 62%, followed by agriculture.

The importance of agriculture in reducing emissions is immense. In implementing greenhouse gas emission reduction measures, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has taken very proactive steps. Firstly, following the directives of the COP 26 Steering Committee of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a plan to reduce emissions by 2030, encompassing agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and land. The Ministry is also actively working to issue regulations guiding the implementation of low-emission reduction, particularly in the forestry sector. The Ministry is also developing and issuing regulations on carbon credit determination.

In the forestry sector, international partners are paying close attention to Vietnam's potential in terms of forests. Vietnam has successfully transferred 10.3 million forest carbon credits (10.3 million tons of CO2) through the World Bank (WB) at a price of US$5 per ton, generating US$51.5 million (approximately VND 1,200 billion). This marks the beginning of the potential for trading forest carbon credits. Experts believe that Vietnam is one of the countries with rich forest potential, with over 14.86 million hectares, achieving a forest cover rate of 42.02%, and being the only sector with net negative emissions...

Minister Do Duc Duy held discussions with representatives of the farmers' association on the sidelines of the forum on the morning of November 24th.

In agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is collaborating with the World Bank and partners to implement the Project on 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta. After two years of implementation, we have achieved very positive results.

To support farmers in adapting to climate change, reducing emissions, and working towards the Net Zero goal, the Climate Change Department will advise the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to gradually develop specific guidelines for farmers to implement. I hope that farmers and agricultural businesses will work together to make these unfamiliar issues become commonplace.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/bo-truong-do-duc-duy-nhieu-linh-vuc-trong-nong-nghiep-se-duoc-cap-chung-chi-carbon-va-huong-den-muc-tieu-net-zero-383592.html