The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) co-hosted a workshop on agricultural digitalization in Hanoi on the 17th to move towards green agriculture and sustainable development.
At the workshop, UNDP and MARD introduced for the first time the electronic traceability system model for tracing the origin and carbon footprint of each dragon fruit produced in Binh Thuan province.
It is said that each plantation will set up smart devices that automatically measure carbon emissions and update them on the network, so that carbon footprints can be tracked and counted in real time.
Not only that, the technology also analyzes to provide solutions to reduce carbon emissions during the production and transportation of agricultural products.
In details, improving lighting efficiency - switching from compact lamps to LEDs can help reduce electricity usage emissions by up to 68%. Intercropping woody plants at the boundaries and crevices of dragon fruit orchards absorbs the carbon emissions released by dragon fruit trees. It is estimated that planting 100-300 woody trees per hectare can absorb 0.9-2.8 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is equivalent to reducing farm emissions by 20-45%.
Currently, 99 farmers’ farms in 4 cooperatives in Binh Thuan Province have obtained accounts to join the system.
Now, both domestic and foreign consumers can scan the QR code to trace the origin of the fruit and its green level when purchasing or importing dragon fruit from the main production areas of Binh Thuan.
During the workshop, participants also shared and discussed many topics: the need to measure and reduce emissions from rice cultivation; some smart farming models related to digital transformation; the importance of digital solutions in the production, processing and consumption; the strategic vision for digital transformation in the field of agriculture and rural development; the cooperation between the government and international organizations to build data for the green and sustainable development of Vietnam's agricultural sector, etc.
