Evaluating the Effectiveness of Greenhouse Gas Reduction in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

- Integrated rice and beef production systems reduce GHG emissions by 22% -

JIRCAS, in collaboration with the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), the University of Miyazaki, and Can Tho University in Vietnam, has conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the effects of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to global warming, and reducing environmental impact in the rural areas of the Mekong Delta. 

In the rural areas of southern Vietnam, it is common to have specialized farming systems in which rice cultivation and beef cattle production are conducted independently. However, these specialized farming systems do not effectively utilize local resources and may have a negative impact on the environment. The research group found that an integrated system that combines paddy rice cultivation and beef cattle production with biogas production can reduce GHG emissions by 22% compared to a specialized system. It was also found that energy consumption could be reduced by 22% through the use of biogas, and that emissions of ammonia and other substances derived from livestock manure that affect the water quality of rivers and other bodies could be reduced by 14%.

In the Asian monsoon region, including Vietnam, as in the Mekong Delta, agriculture, mainly paddy rice cultivation, is an important industry. In recent years, the demand for livestock products such as meat has been increasing in line with economic development, and it is expected that the combined system of rice farming and beef cattle production will be adopted in the Asian monsoon region in the future, thereby contributing to the achievement of GHG reduction targets.

The results of this research have been published in the electronic edition of the Journal of Environmental Management on June 8, 2021 (Japan time).

Authors

Ogino, A., Nguyen, V. T., Hosen, Y., Izumi, T., Suzuki, T., Sakai, T., Ando, S., Osada, T. and Kawashima, T.

Title

Environmental impacts of a rice-beef-biogas integrated system in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam evaluated by life cycle assessment

Journal

Journal of Environmental Management,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112900

JIRCAS President

KOYAMA Osamu

Program Director

HAYASHI Keiichi

Principal Investigators

IZUMI Taro (Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division)
OGINO Akifumi (Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO)
KAWASHIMA Tomoyuki (University of Miyazaki)

Press Coordinators

OMORI Keisuke (Head, Information and Public Relations Office)
E-mail：koho-jircas@ml.affrc.go.jp
Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO
koho-nilgs@naro.affrc.go.jp
University of Miyazaki
kouhou@of.miyazaki-u.ac.jp