(Photo: UNDP)
Vietnam's green agriculture has reached a new milestone as Binh Thuan Province, with assistance from the United Nations, officially introduces the first batch of dragon fruit with monitored carbon emissions. And through energy and water-saving measures, the cultivation process has successfully reduced carbon emissions by nearly 70%.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development in Binh Thuan province, launched the “Accelerating Private Sector Engagement in Climate-Resilient and Low-Emission Investment in Agriculture Sector,” project. Funding is provided by the governments of Germany, Spain, and the European Union to assist Vietnamese fruit farmers in cultivating dragon fruit in a low-carbon manner.
Doan Anh Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province stated that as China, India, and Mexico successfully cultivated dragon fruit, Vietnam's value chain began facing numerous challenges, “especially when China's annual production surpassed Vietnam in 2021, the local dragon fruit needs a new strategy”.
Binh Thuan Province leads in dragon fruit productivity and production, with approximately 27,787 hectares and an annual yield exceeding 600,000 tons which export to 20 counties aound the world.
This 3-year project has expanded to three districts in Binh Thuan Province, involving four cooperatives or enterprises. By the end of 2023, 188 households have been transited to green supply chain, with approximately 23,300 tons of dragon fruit tracking carbon footprint. Local authorities aim to enhance the competitiveness of agricultural products through transparent and responsible monitoring measures, continually expanding into the European Union market.
Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, stated this achievement “illustrated an innovative approach to embracing green agriculture while adapting to climate change of the agriculture production.”
The project also assisted local farmers in switching to energy-efficient LED bulbs and water-saving irrigation systems, resulting in saving energy by 50%, cutting carbon emissions by 68%, and reducing water usage by 42%, conveying cost saving of at least 600,000 VND per hectare (approximately 25 USD). Furthermore, cooperatives have switched to utilizing rooftop solar power for irrigation and packaging, further enhancing the carbon reduction effect and shaping a new model for sustainable agriculture in Vietnam.
