Benefits of the 3R approach for agricultural waste management
(AWM) in Vietnam


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Introduction

The need for Preface on agricultural waste management
In recent years, Vietnam’s agricultural sectors have developed rapidly. The country has become the
world's second-largest rice exporter and also a key partner of many developed countries such as the
USA, Japan, and countries in the EU in terms of the export of other agricultural products. According
to statistical data, the output of cereals reached 43.3 million tons in 2009, including rice output of
38.9 million tons, an increase of 116,000 tons over 2008 figures. Exported rice reached a record
level at 5.95 million tons. However, accompanying this development has been wastes from the
irrational application of intensive farming methods and the abuse of chemicals used in cultivation,
remarkably affecting rural environments in particular and the global environmental in general.



Literature review for the 3R approach in AWM in Vietnam

The 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) were introduced to the Vietnamese people about 10 years ago.
But even before that, some initial activities of the 3Rs were already being carried out because
Vietnamese farmers are typically industrious, hard-working, and thrifty.



Objectives and the scope of this study

Although in Vietnam there exists a certain amount of research related to 3R approaches in
agricultural sectors as mentioned here, the concept of the 3Rs is not yet a familiar one for rural
residents. The government and other functional organizations are paying greater attention to means
of improving 3R activities. This study addresses environmental issues related to waste generation
from cultivation, livestock, and agricultural service activities and evaluates potential benefits of the
3R approach in AWM in Vietnam. In addition, it also identifies the challenges and opportunities in
promoting this international 3R mission while also suggesting some options for promoting effective
3R activities.



Cattle breeding activities

In Vietnam, there were about 18,000 breeding farms in 2008. The number of heads of breeding stock
on large-scale farms ranges from hundreds to thousands, including not only cattle and poultry but
also sows, boars, small pigs, and pigs for meat. Chicken breeding farms are often built using a
closed-cage model and have an average scale of 5,000 chickens kept for eggs and 10,000 chickens
bred for meat [7]. According to the General Statistics Office (GSO) data shown in Table 2.2, annual
production of staple cattle and poultry has not increased steadily. However their average growth
rates reached 3.3%–5.2% a year for the period 1995–2008.