Hà Nội, Viet Nam, 8 December 2025 – The Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (DCPP), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) co-organized a technical workshop on Biochar production and application for low-emission crop production to advance practical solutions for circular, climate-resilient agriculture in Viet Nam.

Held at DCPP’s office on 8 December 2025 in Hà Nội, the workshop gathered representatives from MAE, provincial authorities, research institutions, enterprises and development partners to discuss how biochar can support the implementation of the Low-Emission Crop Production Program 2025–2035 (Decision No. 4024/QĐ-BNN-TT) and contribute to Viet Nam’s net-zero and methane reduction commitments. The event was organized within the framework of the project “Biochar for Circular Agriculture and Climate Change Adaptation in Viet Nam,” (“the Project”) funded by the Korean Green New Deal Fund under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea and jointly implemented in Viet Nam by Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, MAE and GGGI.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Photos ©Global Green Growth Institute

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, biochar has been identified as one of the key technical solutions under the Low-Emission Crop Production Program. Ms. Huong noted that Viet Nam’s emerging biochar market is still in an early stage of development, with challenges including a relatively fragmented market landscape, uneven product quality and standards and certification systems that are still being developed. She added that business models linking biochar production with crop value chains and coordination mechanisms between the State, enterprises and the research community are only beginning to take shape, and that measurement, validation and verification of emission reductions remain a technical and institutional challenge for accessing carbon markets.

Mr. Juhern Kim, GGGI Country Representative to Viet Nam. Photos ©Global Green Growth Institute

Opening the workshop, Mr. Juhern Kim, GGGI Country Representative to Viet Nam, underlined that Viet Nam’s agriculture faces increasing climate risks, but also holds significant potential for low-emission growth if the available agricultural residues are used productively.

Mr. Kim highlighted “Our ongoing joint efforts on biochar with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment aims to promote and catalyze climate business and technology transfer in biochar in Viet Nam. The project is not intended to stop at research or training; it is designed to create a platform where regulators, enterprises and cooperatives in Viet Nam can work directly with companies that own innovative technologies. Through this, we seek to gradually localize solutions, mobilize climate finance and deliver tangible impacts at the local level.”

The workshop shed light on biochar’s potential as a cross-cutting solution linking agricultural science, circular economy, and carbon finance, with initial findings from a national landscape assessment of biochar conducted under the project. Participants discussed where and how agricultural residues such as rice husks, coffee husks, rice straw and other crop by-products can be converted into biochar, what technologies and business models are emerging in the market, and how policy and regulatory frameworks can become enablers of responsible investment and adoption.

GGGI has been providing targeted engagements with two pioneering companies in this space, both of which were presented at the workshop. 4EN, led by CEO Lee Hochul, is a Korea-based social impact company conducting a pre-feasibility study using rice straw as the main feedstock and assessing application potential in Vietnamese provinces such as Phu Tho. The company is also pursuing carbon finance solutions that will enable it to mobilize capital and use carbon credits to repay principal and interest.

HUSK Vietnam, represented by CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan , is receiving GGGI’s support for feasibility assessments to accelerate the deployment of rice-husk-based biochar solutions in Viet Nam, unlocking investment for a biochar facility in Tay Ninh and a biochar-based fertilizer facility in Long An. These facilities will produce regenerative soil products and generate high-quality carbon removal credits.

Delegates at the event. Photos ©Global Green Growth Institute

The hybrid event brought together over 150 representatives from government ministries, national agencies including MAE’s Department of Climate Change, 34 provincial agencies including Departments of Agriculture and Environment, Sub-departments of Crop Production and Plant Protection, research institutes; major fertilizer, biochar and agriculture companies in Viet Nam including Agris–TTC; development partners FAO, IRRI, SNV, GIZ, and sector associations such as the Fertilizer Association and Rice Sector Association.