Nghe An implements a project to propagate and mobilize farmers to treat waste

On the morning of February 17, the Provincial Farmers' Association held a workshop to launch and connect the Project "Propaganda and mobilization of farmers to treat waste in Vietnam, contributing to the international community's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" for the period 2022 - 2024.

The Conference was chaired by Comrade Nguyen Quang Tung - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, Head of the Project Management Board. Attending the Conference, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, there was Comrade Nguyen Thi Viet Ha - Deputy Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. On behalf of Nghe An province, there were representatives of departments and branches: Provincial Police, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Science and Technology; representatives of Do Luong, Nam Dan districts and Thai Hoa town.

Comrade Nguyen Quang Tung - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association, Head of the Project Management Board chaired the Workshop. Photo: Hoai Thu

Aim to reduce the environmental hazards of waste

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, comrade Nguyen Quang Tung emphasized that Nghe An is a province with a large area, a large population and mainly living in rural areas (more than 80%). Therefore, the amount of waste from daily life, production and business activities in rural areas is very large, with millions of tons of agricultural waste and by-products each year.

According to information at the Workshop, the Project estimates that each year Vietnam has about 1.3 billion tons of food waste discharged into the environment, equivalent to 680 billion USD. In developing countries, waste mainly occurs during the production and storage of food, accounting for 54% of the world's wasted food, while in developed countries, this figure is 46%, leading to economic losses and serious impacts on the environment.

In terms of food waste index, Vietnam ranks second in the world, just behind China. Discarding food into the environment to decompose will release methane, a gas 25 times more toxic than carbon dioxide. Regarding pollution from farm-scale livestock farming, Vietnam has about 20,869 livestock farms out of a total of 33,488 agricultural farms (accounting for 62.31%); about 7.9 million livestock households (accounting for 93.05% of agricultural production households); more than 35,000 slaughterhouses, which means releasing a large amount of waste into the environment every day.

Nghe An farmers compost organic fertilizer for crops. Photo courtesy of Thanh Phuc

In many provinces and cities of Vietnam, especially in the North, straw burning during the harvest season occurs regularly. 1 hectare of rice will produce about 10 tons of straw. In essence, burning straw in the field is incomplete burning, thus releasing a large amount of pollutants such as SO2, NO2, including toxic gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), dioxins and furans, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)... However, if straw is treated instead of burned, about 400 kg of organic fertilizer will be obtained, while reducing environmental pollution. In addition, most food waste sent to landfills will emit greenhouse gases and pollute underground water sources, pollute rivers and streams, and create algae blooms. Manure also produces ammonia gas and leads to acid rain and air pollution, causing respiratory diseases in humans.

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Ha - Deputy Head of the External Relations and International Cooperation Department of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union introduced the project's activities, focusing on key contents such as: organizing networking events, building a national network to raise awareness of environmental protection and climate change adaptation. Promoting activities of farmer groups, cooperatives, cooperatives, waste collection clubs. Training communication skills for union officials, training for grassroots farmers and learning effective models nationwide...

Comrade Nguyen Thi Viet Ha - Deputy Head of the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Department of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union introduced the Project deployed nationwide. Photo: Hoai Thu

He also emphasized that in recent years, Farmers' Associations at all levels have built pilot models suitable to local conditions, meeting people's needs, bringing high efficiency, establishing self-managed environmental sanitation teams, making waste collection and conversion a habit of farmers. Many localities across the country have many very effective waste treatment models, both reducing the amount of emissions into the environment and creating more organic fertilizer for crops. The project will focus on training and guiding, supporting local Farmers' Associations to build these models, and replicate them to households.

From these issues, the Vietnam Farmers' Union has proposed a number of solutions to improve waste management in Vietnam, thereby maximizing the recycling of nutrients in organic waste. To contribute to promoting the application of waste management and treatment methods in Vietnam, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union has coordinated with the Organization for Supporting Regional Solutions for Communities and Ecosystems (BRACE Foundation) to develop and implement the project "Propaganda and mobilization of farmers to treat waste in Vietnam, contributing to the international community's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions".

Synchronously deploy project content

Vice President of Nghe An Farmers' Association introduces the Project's activities that will be implemented in the province in the coming time. Photo: Hoai Thu

This is the affirmation of representatives of the Provincial Farmers' Association as well as departments, branches and localities at the Workshop on environmental protection activities, contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Specifically, at the Workshop, there were many presentations from departments, branches and localities, both assessing the dangers and current status of waste treatment in the province; and proposing systematic solutions to minimize the impacts of waste on the environment.

At the Workshop, there were many presentations that deeply assessed and demonstrated the determination of all levels, sectors and localities towards the issue of waste treatment. For example, the presentation of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on environmental protection solutions in the province. The Center for Application of Science and Technology Advances, Department of Science and Technology presented on the industry's orientations in supporting farmers in applying scientific and technological advances in agricultural production associated with protecting the rural environment.

Representatives of departments, branches and localities presented their opinions at the Workshop. Photo: Hoai Thu

Participating in the workshop, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development gave many opinions on the orientations for organic agricultural development in Nghe An in the period of 2022 - 2023. Representatives of the Farmers' Association of Do Luong and Nam Dan districts, representatives of Song Lam Sugarcane Joint Stock Company also presented the current situation and solutions for waste treatment and environmental protection in the area, and mentioned the activities that the associations at all levels will promote in the coming time to put the project into practice and achieve high results.