CROPS4DELTA: collaboration opportunities for Dutch and Vietnamese partners in the Mekong Delta
CROPS4DELTA is a one-year seed project that aims to explore the potential for international collaborations between Dutch and Vietnamese partners, focusing on the breeding and value-chain development of salt-tolerant crops in the Mekong Delta. In June 2024, the project organised a trade mission to Vietnam to explore opportunities for the collaboration. In this interview with Priska Prasetya, Business Developer at WUR’s Plant Sciences Group, she explains more about the project and how Dutch seed companies could participate in the identified opportunities.
Can you tell me more about the project?
The Seed Money Project (SMP) of ‘CROPS4DELTA’ is a one-year seed project (funded by the Dutch Top Sector) that aims to explore the potential for international research and development (R&D) collaborations between Dutch and Vietnamese partners, focusing on the breeding and value-chain development of salt-tolerant crops in the Mekong Delta. The project seeks to leverage Dutch technological innovations and expertise to develop climate-adaptive agricultural practices suitable for the saline-affected lands of the Mekong Delta, in the South of Vietnam, with an emphasis on crops like quinoa, which is highly salt-tolerant, and other crops like watermelon, tomatoes, and potatoes. Key topics of the SMP CROPS4DELTA project include:
Breeding salt-tolerant varieties: Improving existing crops and developing new varieties that can thrive in high salinity conditions.
Crop diversification: Introducing and developing salt-tolerant crops to replace rice in saline-affected areas, thereby increasing agricultural resilience in the Mekong Delta.
Value chain development: Creating business cases and exploring market opportunities for these crops, ensuring economic viability for farmers and stakeholders.
International collaboration: Establishing a consortium of Dutch and Vietnamese companies, research institutions, and other stakeholders to facilitate knowledge exchange and technology transfer.
The project aligns with Vietnam's goals of agricultural diversification and climate adaptation, aiming to improve food security and farmer livelihoods.
Who initiated the project?
CROPS4DELTA is initiated based on the interest from a Dutch breeding SME, Radicle Crops, a spin-off of WUR, who specialises in the development and application of cutting-edge breeding technologies to accelerate the introduction of novel crops into global food system including quinoa. Quinoa is an exceptional new crop with the unique salt-tolerant property that can potentially contribute to food security as it has a healthy balance of proteins with all the essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fibre, and seed oil. In the context of climate change, quinoa is a crop that has proven to be able to withstand extreme level of salinity and drought. WUR has established field trials with Tra Vinh University testing salt-tolerant quinoa in Vietnam. Radicle Crops sees opportunities for quinoa in the saline Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
In addition to quinoa, CROPS4DELTA also explores the business interests of other Dutch breeding companies (East West Seed and HZPC) who have interest in improving salt tolerance of existing crops to be grown in other parts of the Mekong Delta area (e.g. bitter gourd, chili pepper. tomato, potato). The long term objective of this project is to establish business opportunities for farmers and the whole value chain to introduce alternative crops that can better tolerate increasing salinity problems.
Could you explain more about the potential impact of salinity on food and seed security?
The potential impact of salinity on food security and seed security is expected to manifest in different ways: first of all, there will be reduced crop yields as high salinity levels in soil and water inhibit plant growth, there will be loss of arable land as prolonged salinity exposure degrades soil quality; high salinity affects seed viability, thereby reducing germination rates and seedling health. And lastly, declining crop yields and loss of arable land will result in significant economic losses for farmers, resulting in economic and livelihood challenges.
Why do you specifically focus on the Mekong Delta?
The reasons for the project to focus on the Mekong Delta of Vietnam is that the region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly due to salinity intrusion caused by rising sea levels and changes in river flows. This makes it a critical area for developing and testing climate-resilient agricultural practices. As one of Vietnam’s most productive agricultural regions, the Mekong Delta plays a vital role in the country's food security and economy. It is a major producer of rice, fruit, and seafood. Thus, ensuring its agricultural sustainability is essential for national food security. Furthermore, the traditional crops, especially rice, are increasingly threatened by salinity, leading to decreased yields and economic losses. This creates an urgent need for alternative, more resilient agricultural practices and crops.
What opportunities do you see for alternative climate-resilient crops?
We see several opportunities for this in the Mekong Delta: the saline-affected areas of the Delta are suitable for cultivating salt-tolerant crops. Crops such as quinoa, which can thrive in high salinity conditions, offer a viable alternative to traditional rice cultivation. In addition, the region’s varied microclimates and soil types present opportunities for introducing a range of salt-tolerant crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, and watermelon. This diversification can enhance food security and provide new income sources for farmers. Lastly, developing high-value, climate-resilient crops can open new market opportunities both domestically and internationally. This can boost the local economy, create jobs, and improve livelihoods for farmers in the region.
Which partners will be involved in the project and what will be their role?
A variety of partners is interested in developing projects/programmes on climate resilient crops for the Mekong Delta, such as Wageningen University & Research, East West Seed, Rijk Zwaan, HZPC and several Vietnamese universities. During the trade mission undertaken in June 2024, many of these organisations were present and discussed opportunities for collaboration.
In June 2024, you undertook a trade mission as part of the project. What were the objectives of the trade mission and what did the programme look like?
The objectives of the mission were to build on the existing knowledge (such as this study) on alternative crops for Mekong Delta and to understand the bottlenecks and opportunities in introducing new varieties of Dutch breeding companies to the Vietnamese market. The goal was moreover to develop an action plan for the breeding and value chain development of salt-tolerant crops grown in the Mekong Delta and to brainstorm for possibilities of follow-up opportunities on climate-resilient crops for the Mekong Delta. During the mission, participants spoke with, amongst others, several government representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Farmer’s Union, and they conducted field visits in the region to understand the potential of alternative crops for the Delta.
What do you now envision as next steps for the remaining part of the project?
There are various opportunities that have been identified with different organisations in Vietnam. To pursue the opportunities, WUR and other relevant colleagues in Vietnam will be actively working on the development of new project proposals for different funding opportunities and engaging relevant stakeholders for the development of larger project/programme on ‘Climate resilient crops for the Mekong Delta’. The funding opportunities include Public Private Partnership with the Dutch Top Sector, Impact Cluster by RVO, and P4G Partnership.
What is your message or call to action to the SeedNL community?
The CROPS4DELTA aims to pave the way for a climate-resilient future in the Mekong Delta, addressing critical challenges posed by salinity and climate change. We invite the SeedNL community to be a part of this transformative journey, leveraging our collective expertise and resources to create lasting impact.
The goals of CROPS4DELTA align well with the mission of SeedNL in terms of promoting access to quality seeds for farmers in the Mekong Delta, developing the seed sector and to build and maintain a network of relevant stakeholders dedicated to advancing seed innovation and agricultural resilience.
Our call to action to the SeedNL community is to partner with us to bring your expertise, resources, and innovations to the project, to support and/or invest in pilot and advanced research on salt-tolerant crops for the Mekong Delta and to participate in workshops, training sessions, and knowledge-sharing events on the topic
