After the Typhoon “Yagi” hit Vietnam, the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) Director Gina Parde – Nilo, PhD., together with Ms. Kristine Nilo, Project Officer I, attended the Food Systems, Land Use, and Restoration (FOLUR) Low – Emission Rice Regional Dialogue: Realizing the Vision of Low –Emission Rice across landscapes – at Pan Pacific Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Vietnamese rice has accessed markets in all corners of the world from Asia, Europe, America to Africa, with an annual export volume of more than 6 million tons. Vietnam owns a long history of water rice and is producing various tasty varieties to meet tastes of the markets and adapt to the climate change while maintaining good quality. Within the framework of the 2023 International World Rice Conference organized by the Rice Traders in the Philippines, Vietnam’s rice was awarded the “World’s Best Rice”.
The sector is focusing on higher quality and sustainable production with the target of 1 million hectares of high quality and low emission rice production area in close combination with restructured production system along the value chain, applied sustainable farming procedures, enhanced production and business effectiveness, improved income and living standards of rice growers, adaptation to climate change and reduction of GHG emission, the Prime Minister approved the “Sustainable Development Project for One Million Hectares of Specialized, Low – Emission High – Quality Rice Farming by 2030.”
With the regional forum theme of “Realizing the Vision of Low – Emissions Rice Across Landscapes,” it aims to discuss, share experiences and coordinate policies in order to enhance the access to finance, science and technology, organize production, processing, distribution, and trading toward the low – emission and sustainability for stakeholders in the rice value chain in particular and food systems in general and learn demands and ways to shape carbon credit market which is still new and challenging for the rice sector.
Dr. Nilo shared about the Philippines’ effort giving emphasis on the role of microbes and bio-fertilizer and the application of compost which can significantly improve soil health, enhance biodiversity while mitigating GHG emission due to chemical fertilizer. She also mentioned the Adaptive Balanced Fertilization Strategy (ABFS), and implementation of the Sustainable Land Management (SLM).
Dr. Nilo’s attendance to this dialogue is in support to the formulation of the Philippine proposal entitled “ Transforming Agricultural Landscapes in Island Ecosystems and Key Biodiversity Areas towards Sustainable Food Systems and Climate Resilient Communities” funded by Global Environment Facility 8 (GEF 8 Cycle) under the Food System Integrated Program implemented by the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) with BSWM as the lead executing agency in partnership with the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau. Panay Island provinces and Region 3 are recognized as key rice producing areas also host to a variety of endemic species in the key biodiversity areas. Another major concern that aggravates biodiversity loss is climate change. These are some of the challenges to sustain rice production, achieve food and nutrition security and a sustainable food system while taking into account environmental and socio- economic perspectives.
Looking forward to Realizing the Vision of Low – Emissions Rice Across Landscapes for the Philippines.
(Kristine Nilo, Office of the Director)
