Rize Partners with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam and Ben & Archie to Launch Climate-Smart Rice Farming Pilot in Long An

Long An, Vietnam, August 2025

Rize Vietnam, an agri-tech company advancing sustainable farming in Southeast Asia, has joined hands with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam and global innovation firm Ben & Archie to launch a climate-smart rice farming initiative under Coca-Cola’s EkoClimate program. The pilot is being implemented in Nhut Chanh Commune, Ben Luc District, Long An Province.

The program supports 42 smallholder rice farmers to transition to more sustainable and cost-efficient practices across 50 hectares during the upcoming rice season. Central to this pilot are the adoption of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) techniques, methods that reduce methane emissions, lower input costs by 20–30%, and ensure food safety and marketability.

Representatives from Rize, Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam, Ben & Archie, and local government at the EkoClimate event in Long An.

As part of the initiative, participating farmers and their families will also engage in a dedicated Community Engagement Workshop, designed to raise awareness of sustainable agriculture and co-develop solutions that strengthen long-term climate resilience at the grassroots level.

“Rice farmers are at the intersection of climate vulnerability and opportunity. By combining agronomic innovation with localized support, we are enabling farmers to build more resilient and profitable futures,” — Siem Schreurs, Head of Partnership at Rize

This partnership forms part of Coca-Cola Vietnam’s broader EkoCenter strategy, its flagship community engagement platform - and represents the first deployment of the EkoClimate model in Vietnam. It reflects a shared commitment across partners to support national sustainability goals while ensuring meaningful benefits for rural communities.

The pilot has already drawn national media attention. VnExpress, one of Vietnam’s leading news outlets, recently reported on the project, highlighting how participating farmers are adopting Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) to cut methane emissions. The article noted that these practices not only reduce water use and input costs but also improve household incomes and climate resilience - outcomes at the heart of the EkoClimate initiative (Read the full story here)

Rize team member explains Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technique to farmer and partners at the EkoClimate event in Long An.

Rize brings extensive on-the-ground experience in digital and field-based agronomic support, drawing from its operations across Vietnam and Indonesia. Its collaboration with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam and Ben & Archie marks a significant milestone in the development of replicable, climate-smart agricultural models tailored to the Mekong Delta.

The EkoClimate initiative aims to serve as a blueprint for scalable, low-emission farming practices across the region, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can deliver measurable environmental impact alongside improved farmer livelihoods.