.png)
Forum on "Rice Paddy Soil Health: Foundation for Green and Sustainable Development"
"Healthy soil leads to good rice and healthier people" – this powerful message from the Forum on "Rice Paddy Soil Health - Foundation for Green and Sustainable Development" held on October 29 in Hanoi has sparked an urgent call to action. Organized by the Vietnam Rice Association in collaboration with the Vietnam Soil Science Association, the event brought together managers, experts, research institutes, and businesses to dissect the degradation of rice soils after years of intensive farming, while outlining a roadmap for restoration aimed at sustainable production and low emissions in line with COP26 commitments.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Vu Nang Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Soil Science Association, affirmed that rice is the "pillar" crop tied to 61.9% of the rural population, accounting for 33.7% of the total cultivated land area in 2023. From 1978 to the present, although rice paddy area has decreased from 4.664 million hectares to 3.92 million hectares due to urbanization, productivity has increased 3.4-fold (from 17.93 quintals per crop to 61.1 quintals per crop), boosting paddy output to 43.5 million tons – the bedrock of food security and rice exports. However, Mr. Dung warned: Intensive farming, overuse of inorganic NPK fertilizers and pesticides, combined with climate change (CC), is causing soil to harden, reduce porosity, organic matter (OM), and microbial diversity, threatening rice quality for export.
Mr. Tran Minh Tien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, emphasized the need to build a national soil database and criteria for assessing soil health (pH, OM, trace elements). "Farmers still apply NPK using general formulas, ignoring trace elements – key to nutrient balance," Mr. Tien analyzed, citing the model from Binh Dinh Fertilizer Joint Stock Company: Utilizing agricultural waste as organic fertilizer, balancing organic and inorganic inputs, reducing nutrient loss, resulting in healthier soil, stable yields, and 15-20% cost savings for farmers. Other solutions: Efficient water management, adjusted planting density and timing, prioritizing low-emission fertilizers.
Linking to the Project for 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice in the Mekong Delta, Mr. Tien views it as a "key strategy" to boost farmer incomes and protect the environment. Mr. Vo Quang Minh from the Vietnam Soil Science Association added: The Mekong Delta has 9 soil groups and 55 types, but 21% of the area is severely degraded due to saltwater intrusion and acidification. Solutions: Restructuring rice production, reducing monocropping, promoting intercropping and multi-cropping, smart agriculture, and value chain linkages to build the Vietnamese rice brand.
The roundtable "Linkages in Restoring and Enhancing Rice Paddy Soil Health – Towards Green and Sustainable Agriculture" was lively, with consensus on the core principle: "Return organics to the soil," improving physical-chemical-biological properties through crop rotation (rice-soybean-corn), biochar, and beneficial microbes. Mr. Dung stressed: "A long-term national policy to protect rice land is essential – once converted, restoration is extremely difficult." Businesses like Binh Dinh and Lam Thao pledged R&D for green fertilizers (polyphosphate, microbial organics), reducing GHG emissions by 20-30%, supporting farmers via the "Healthy Soil – Green Rice" model.
In conclusion, the forum calls for: Establishing a legal framework to protect rice land reserves (maintaining 3.3-3.5 million hectares for double-cropping until 2050); funding organic fertilizers (utilizing 150-160 million tons of waste annually); training farmers to cut 20% inorganic fertilizer use; and a national soil health monitoring system by 2030. With detailed proceedings and event posters disseminated, the forum is not just a discussion but a "seed" for ecological agriculture: Fertile soil, safe rice, prosperous farmers amid the climate change storm.
