With Chim:the Vietnamese island forgotten by the agricultural development that now inspires the country

In the years in which Vietnam rushed towards the industrial and intensive development of its economy, after the end of the war against the United States, much of the Mekong Delta was reshaped to support large-scale agriculture, promoting industrial cultivation methods aimed at increase rice harvests and transform the nation into an export powerhouse for the well-known cereal.Among the few areas not affected by the development plan was the coastal island of With Chem deemed too small for this purpose.Here, locals were able to continue practicing theirs traditional agricultural methods seemingly out of date.A model which, now that the intensive one is showing its long-term effects, characterized by land impoverishment and pollution, is returning to inspire the country which now aims to return to agricultural practices more based on nature.Once forgotten, the island of With Chem it is therefore now recognized as a guide to a more sustainable agricultural future.

Con Chim islet is located off the coast of Vietnam's Tra Vinh province.A small strip of land, just 62 hectares, which represents a unique example of how much of the Mekong Delta looked before industrial rice cultivation expanded in the country.The island has 220 inhabitants, who practice traditional cereal cultivation and sustainable fishing methods, as well as welcoming an ever-increasing flow of tourists attracted by the authenticity of the place.“Coming to Con Chim was like going back in time,” he commented Nguyen Huu Thien, a local ecologist who has dedicated his life to understanding the Mekong Delta ecosystem.A past to which the entire country would like to return.Today, drought, floods and sea level rise are in fact negatively influencing rice cultivation in the Delta, which has made the limits of intensive agriculture clear.Vietnam has supported the development of high-intensity industrial agricultural methods for more than five decades, but now wants to change course.The strategy, approved in 2017, aims to reduce rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta by 300,000 hectares by 2030, with the related conversion to sustainability through the reintroduction of extensive agricultural practices, such as those always adopted in Con Chim.

Industrial farming methods require huge amounts of water, constant monitoring and intensive use of chemical fertilizers.Furthermore, in the Mekong Delta, the construction of dams and irrigation infrastructures has upset the complex ecological systems of the river with the consequent and inevitable decline in soil quality.On the contrary, on Con Chim Island, rather than trying to control the water cycle, farmers work with it.The wet season is ideal for rice cultivation, as the fields are flooded, while the dry season, when the area sees a natural increase in salinity levels, is suitable for fishing and shrimp and crab farming.“This way, the islanders have food and sources of income all year round,” explained Nguyen Minh Quang, co-founder of the Mekong Environment Forum, a non-profit organization that works to protect the Mekong Delta and its communities that depend on it.The island, without distorting its traditions, has thus become resilient and resistant to climate change, demonstrating to Vietnam and the whole world that adaptation is possible, especially if we start from the local level.

[by Simone Valeri]