Cleaner Production in the Rice Sector in Vietnam

Alternative energy systems Secondary Resources and urban mining

Client

  • UNIDO
  • SECO

Project dates

Ongoing since 2013

Objectives and outcomes

While Vietnam is the world’s fifth-largest rice-producing country and one of the world’s leading rice exporters, the Vietnamese rice sector is currently facing environmental and economic challenges calling for concrete changes. In order to meet the future market requirements, Vietnam needs to increase its rice quality, while decreasing production costs.

With the support of the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Vietnam Cleaner Production Center (VNCPC) and Sofies analysed all aspects of the post harvest rice production.

The result was the identification of different measures to increase productivity, quality and environmental protection:

  • Identification of  low hanging fruit measures, such as better maintenance of the equipment or the adaptation in the electric systems at the rice milling level. 
  • Assessment of the relevancy of advanced cleaner production technologies, such as more efficient engines or innovative paddy drying systems using rice husks as fuel.
  • Customised business development tools, to support the company in the managerial decision-making related to the investment in cleaner production technologies. 

While developing the business case in collaboration with the rice millers, it became more and more evident that there was a need to work beyond the walls of the factory. In this context, a mainstreaming event was organised in Ho Chi Minh City to gather stakeholders from the entire rice value chain.

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