On 9 July 2026,the Vietnam Sustainable Shrimp Alliance (VSSA), in collaboration with Rikolto, hosted the Workshop on Promoting Agricultural Inter-sectoral circular economy: Shrimp, Rice and Coffee in Vietnam in the province of Ca Mau. The event brought together representatives from the delegation of the European Union (EU) to Vietnam, the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee (PPC), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, local authorities of Ca Mau, Dong Thap, Dak Lak and, relevant research institutes, universities, industry led associations, financial institutions, businesses, cooperatives and development partners.
The workshop marked the official launch of the EU-funded project " Driving Inter-Sector Circular Economy for Sustainable Shrimp, Rice and Coffee Farming in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and Central Highlands." The project will be coordinated by Rikolto from 2026 to 2030 in partnership with VSSA and Tay Nguyen University (TNU). The project aims to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration and foster stronger linkages across the shrimp, rice and coffee value chains. It will support businesses, cooperatives and other value chain actors in adopting circular economy practices, improving access to green finance and contributing to the development of a circular economy ecosystem. Through these efforts, the project seeks to improve resource use efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhance economic performance and strengthen the market competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products.
Opening the workshop, Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau PPC, emphasised:
"In the context of increasingly severe climate change, the circular economy is no longer simply a trend; it has become an essential pathway for the future of agriculture."
As Vietnam's largest shrimp-producing area, with distinctive production systems such as shrimp-rice, shrimp-mangrove forest and intensive/super intensive shrimp farming, Ca Mau has significant potential to develop circular economy models that reduce emissions, better use of agricultural by-products and generate greater value added throughout the production chain.
Mdm. Kristina Buende, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam, noted that although Vietnam has established itself as one of the world's leading exporters of rice, shrimp and coffee, its agricultural sector continues to face growing challenges from climate change, increasing pressure on natural resources and rising sustainability expectations in international markets.
According to Mdm. Buende, the circular economy provides an effective response to these challenges by using resources more efficiently, reducing waste and creating new values from materials that would otherwise be discarded. Such an approach not only protects the environment but also helps businesses remain competitive, improves farmers' livelihoods and strengthens the resilience of agricultural value chains.
She further highlighted that the project reflects the EU's long-term commitment to supporting Vietnam's transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems. It aligns with the EU's circular economy priorities while helping businesses reduce their environmental footprint, improve resource use efficiency and meet increasingly demands of international sustainability standards.
Sharing Rikolto's vision for the project, Mr. Dam Trong Tuan, Rikolto in Vietnam’s Country Representative, stressed that Vietnam is entering a critical phase in achieving its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. In this context, the circular economy is not only a solution for reducing emissions but also an opportunity to improve resource use efficiency, unlock greater value from agricultural by-products and enhance the market competitiveness of the agricultural commodities.
While many circular economy initiatives have already been introduced, he also noted that these efforts remain fragmented and insufficiently connected across commodities and production regions. The project therefore adopts an inter-sectoral and inter-regional approaches, linking the shrimp, rice and coffee value chains while establishing multi-stakeholder platforms where farmers, cooperatives, businesses, government agencies, research institutions, financial institutions and development partners can jointly co-design, test and scale practical circular economy solutions.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Thong, Project Coordinator at Rikolto, the 54-month project focuses on two main objectives: strengthening the engagement of non-state actors (NSAs) in promoting the circular economy and accelerating the adoption of circular economy practices across the shrimp, rice and coffee sectors. Farmer cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium-size Enterprises (MSMEs) are placed at the centre of this transition- not only as beneficiaries but also as key drivers of innovation through technology adoption, business model innovation, market linkages and sustainable supply chain development.
Project activities include raising awareness and building capacities on circular economy practices, developing pilot models, strengthening Business Development Service (BDS) providers and Business Membership Organisations (BMOs), improving access to green finance and facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration. By 2030, the project aims to support 150 MSMEs and cooperatives in adopting and promoting circular economy practices; enable 10 MSMEs and cooperatives to access green finance; mobilise at least EUR 300,000 invested in circular economy solutions; transform 10,000 tonnes of waste and by-products into valuable resources; achieve an average 10% reduction in GHG emissions and carbon footprint; and equipe at least 5,000 people across the shrimp, rice and coffee value chains with circular economy knowledge and skills.
Discussions throughout the workshop reflected broad consensus that the transition towards a circular economy can only succeed through strong collaboration among public sector, businesses, cooperatives, researchers, development organisations and financial institutions; public private partnership should be prioritised to mobilize more resources needed for transitioning of the agricultural green growth.
Mr. Chau Cong Bang, Vice Chairman of VSSA, highlighted that the project comes at a critical time, as the need to transition towards circular, low-emission agricultural production systems continues to scale up. He expressed confidence that the initiative would pave the way for pioneering models and provide a strong foundation for testing, refining and scaling circular economy solutions in practice.
The workshop concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by seven pioneering partners: Rikolto International, Vietnam Sustainable Shrimp Alliance (VSSA), Tay Nguyen University (TNU), Tan Hung High Productivity Shrimp Farming Cooperative, Vietnam Food (VNF) Company, Leanwares JSC., and the Institute for Circular Economy Development (ICED) under Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City. The MoU formalises the partners' commitment to jointly implement the project during 2026–2030 and new parties are welcome to join the platform.
Under the MoU, the partners agreed to collaborate in three priority areas: (i) strengthening capacities and promoting circular economy practices across the shrimp, rice and coffee sectors; (ii) enhancing access to green finance, science and technology, and market opportunities; and (iii) jointly developing, testing, measuring and scaling inclusive and sustainable circular economy models through an inter-sector approach.
Moreover, the project lays the foundation for a new approach to agricultural development - one in which by-products are no longer viewed as waste, but as valuable resources that can generate new economic, environmental and social value through innovation and collaboration.
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