Rice certified as "Low-emission Green Vietnamese Rice" has topped 70,000 tonnes cumulatively. Issued by the Vietnam Rice Industry Association, this label is built on the Mekong Delta's one-million-hectare low-emission cultivation project, and the first shipment was over 400 tonnes sent to Japan by Tung An in June 2025. It has already reached Europe and Oceania. For Japanese buyers who have begun building environmental consideration into their sourcing criteria, it is a new option in Vietnamese rice that ties origin and emission data together.
The originating news behind the 70,000-tonne certification
At a workshop held in Can Tho on May 13, 2026, it was reported that the volume granted the "Low-emission Green Vietnamese Rice" label had reached 70,000 tonnes. According to Le Thanh Tung, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Vietnam Rice Industry Association, the certified rice has reached not only Japan but also the European and Oceanian markets.
The first shipment was over 400 tonnes sent to Japan by Tung An in June 2025. There is symbolism in that rice flying the banner of low emissions was put first into the demanding Japanese market.
The "one million hectare" project behind it
This label is based on the one-million-hectare low-emission rice cultivation project advancing in the Mekong Delta. In Can Tho city alone, 170,877 hectares spanning 64 towns/communes and 171 cooperatives are covered.
At the growing sites, methods that rethink seed, fertilizer and water management are spreading, and the Mekong low-emission rice program is achieving results of 45% less seed, 30% less fertilizer and 12% higher yield. A demonstration that curbs emissions while raising yield underpins the substance of the certification label.
How the certification works
The label is run by the Vietnam Rice Industry Association, and while it currently centers on members, cooperatives outside the region can also apply. Granting requires a conformity assessment and verification of the green production process, as well as digitization of production data.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Cumulative certified volume | Topped 70,000 tonnes |
| First shipment (to Japan) | Over 400 tonnes (June 2025, Tung An) |
| Export destinations | Japan, Europe, Oceania |
| Operating body | Vietnam Rice Industry Association |
| Can Tho's covered area | 170,877 hectares (64 towns/communes, 171 cooperatives) |
| Base project | Mekong Delta one-million-hectare low-emission rice |
Reactions on the ground and in the industry
Le Thanh Tung, vice chairman of the Vietnam Rice Industry Association, stressed the label's market-opening power, saying the certified rice "was not only exported to Japan but also reached the European and Oceanian markets." Nguyen Thi Giang, deputy director of Can Tho's Department of Agriculture and Environment, is also involved from the standpoint of advancing the preparation of production data.
Against a rollout that began members-only, voices from cooperatives outside the region say, "We want to participate and secure a stable buyer." Companies with a track record of exporting to Japan, like Tung An, are taking the lead.
Impact on Japanese buyers and distributors
The value of this label lies not in price but in that "emissions and origin can be proved." For food makers and retailers asked by their trading partners to meet decarbonization sourcing criteria, Vietnamese rice that can be placed on the shelf with evidence attached is convenient to use.
Because digitization of production data is included in the conditions, traceability is also easy to guarantee. The Japanese market demands strict pesticide-residue and proof-of-origin requirements, and the certification framework can serve directly as material for responding to screening.
Ripple effects on the industry
Vietnamese rice is easily shaken by the moves of its largest market, and with the Philippines setting a policy to cut rice imports by 60% and the like, there are headwinds for the conventional model of mass exports. Low-emission, high-value-added certified rice is positioned as a move to create a new outlet at a distance from price competition.
For farm products as a whole too, with export expansion topping US$30.7 billion in five months continuing, the significance of bringing the differentiator of an "environmental label" into rice as well is large.
Summary
"Low-emission Green Vietnamese Rice" topping 70,000 tonnes is a milestone in which Vietnamese rice has begun to move from a price contest to a stage of "selling on emission data." Starting with the first shipment to Japan, it is spreading to Europe and Oceania, and for Japanese buyers building decarbonization into their sourcing criteria, a supply source of Vietnamese rice that can show evidence is maturing. There is the constraint of being members-based, but the fact that an application window is open also supports future supply expansion.
