The AgResults Vietnam Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Pilot (AVERP) uses prize money to identify novel approaches that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase rice yields and help overcome market barriers to scaling. AVERP is a four-year, US$8 million, results based financing project, implemented under the multi-donor AgResults initiative. The project is implemented in Thai Binh province in the Red River Delta, from 2016 until 2021. SNV is responsible for implementating AVERP in a neutral, facilitative and coordinating manner.

AVERP focuses exclusively on solutions that aim to reduce emissions during land preparation and cultivation of rice as most emissions occur during these stages. The project targets smallholder farmers, input providers, aggregators, universities and research institutions, government officials, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, and development agencies who have the potential to have significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Results in terms of yield increases and emission reductions are verified idenpendently and transparantly by Applied Geo-Solutions, co-monitored by SNV and the Thai Binh Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Objectives:

• Reach 75,000 farm households in Thai Binh province

• Avoid 375,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions

• Cost savings of 15% for smallholder farmers due to lower input use

Phases

AVERP is conducted in two phases. Participating organisations will be paid based on their achieved results in both phase I and II.

• Phase I was used to test innovations (from 15 selected organisations) and determine which technologies and practicies had the best results in terms of yield increases and emission reductions. Phase I lasted two growing seasons (Summer 2017 and Spring 2018). Participants that developed and demonstrated effective solutions that reduce emissions received interim and milestone prizes. They were invitid to participate in Phase II of the project.

• Phase II is used to scale proven technologies to reach the greatest number of smallholder farmers. Phase II consists of four consecutive growing seasons (from Q1 2019 until end Q3 2020). At the end of each growing seasons interim prizes will be distributed. A grand-prize will be distributed proportionally to winning solutions in accordance with the contest rules and regulations at the end of phase II. The selected approaches must demonstrate their efficacies in terms their ability to be scaled, repeat use introduced technologies, total emissions reduction and yield increases. Results in phase II are also verified by Applied Geo-Solutions.

Based on phase I results, four competitors have been selected to move on to phase II:

• An Dinh Technology Development and Investment Company Limited

• Thai Binh Seed Corporation (ThaiBinhSeed)

• Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint-stock Company

• Food plant and rations plant institute plant seed join-stock company (Fari-Seed Jsc)

During Phase II, competitors are demonstrating and expanding use of their technologies at scale in approximately 50 communes and 76 villages in Thai Binh province.