BPP Partnership Impact Series: Incentivising low emissions rice production through satellite technology in Vietnam
Since its launch, the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) has worked with ambitious partners to deliver meaningful, lasting change in communities across the world. The BPP Partnership Impact Series celebrates the outcomes and lessons from our partnerships, highlighting their contributions to inclusive economic growth, resilience and sustainable development.
Our Carbon Markets partnerships in Vietnam were launched to promote the growth of sustainable carbon markets that deliver significant social and environmental benefits to communities in Vietnam. This partnership demonstrated how satellite technology and farmer training can work hand-in-hand to cut methane emissions, save water and create new income opportunities for smallholder rice farmers in Vietnam.
Satellite technology driving climate-smart rice production in Vietnam
Rice farming is a cornerstone of Vietnam’s culture and economy, providing livelihoods for millions and serving as a daily staple. However, it comes with a climate cost: globally, rice production is responsible for more than 10 percent of methane emissions. In Vietnam, where most fields are managed by smallholders farming of less than half a hectare, many farmers lack the resources, technical know-how and verification systems needed to adopt climate-smart practices or benefit from carbon markets.
This partnership set out to close that gap. Farmers received training and support to adopt Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), a water management technique that can cut methane by nearly half while improving irrigation water efficiency by 30 percent. At the same time, a world-first satellite-based Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system was piloted. Using artificial intelligence, remote sensing and IoT (Internet of Things) water sensors, the system can remotely detect AWD practices and quantify methane reductions at field level. By dramatically lowering verification costs, it makes it possible for even the smallest farmers to access carbon markets.
By breaking down barriers to participation, the project is attempting to create new financial incentives for smallholders, while also building the evidence base for large-scale, low-emission rice production. In doing so, it supports Vietnam’s goal to apply AWD on up to 1.2 million hectares of rice producing land and deliver on its Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
About the partnership
The partnership brought together CarbonFarm, Rikolto in Vietnam, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Australian Government. CarbonFarm developed the MRV technology, Rikolto trained farmers and engaged cooperatives, IRRI provided scientific validation, and the Australian Government contributed funding and policy support.
Piloted across 900 hectares in the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap, Can Tho and Kien Giang, the system combined digital innovation with farmer capacity building. More than 1,200 smallholder households were trained in sustainable rice practices, with a strong focus on including women farmers. A farm-log app was upgraded with offline mode, photo uploads, and multilingual support to make reporting easier and build trust in the verification process.
By pairing cutting-edge technology with practical farmer engagement, the partnership has laid the foundation for scalable rice carbon projects in Vietnam, helping cut emissions, save water and generate new income streams for farming communities.
Highlights
During the BPP partnership period, highlights included:
- Building capacity for farmers: Trained and onboarded 1,200+ smallholder households in Dong Thap, Can Tho and Kien Giang in climate-smart practices, especially Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD).
- Pioneering breakthrough technology: Piloted a world-first satellite MRV system for rice, combining satellite imagery, IoT water-level sensors and machine learning to detect AWD and quantify methane reductions.
- Digitising farmer tools: Upgraded a farm-log app with offline mode, photo uploads, and multilingual support to streamline data reporting and strengthen trust in carbon credit systems.
- Ground-truthing with science: Completed two rounds of methane chamber testing with IRRI/CLRRI in Kien Giang.
- Progressing carbon market access: Enabling Gold Standard readiness with a registered project account and ID, moving documentation forward pending stakeholder consultation. The project, once registered, has the capacity to reduce 14,000 tCO2e per year.
- Promoting inclusive participation: Working with the Vietnam Women’s Union to adapt training formats and actively engage women farmers, ensuring their voices and roles were central to the transition.
View the full partnership impact story below or download here.
