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Vietnam is supportive of the transition to sustainable rice production in the Mekong Delta. The national program promoted best management practices for rice production through “1 Must Do and 5 Reductions” (1M5R). This review traces the technological development and uptake of 1M5R in national policies and by end-users. We highlight the outcomes from various policy-supported initiatives and unpack plausible pathways that generated the widespread adoption of 1M5R in eight provinces in the Mekong River Delta: at least 104,448 smallholder rice farmers were reached, and 1M5R practices adopted on 113,870 hectares. The scaling of 1M5R was enabled through a convergence of different socio-technical systems with varied foci, including sustainability certification, contract farming, consolidation of production, and improved use of inputs, aside from the development of sustainable technologies. In addition, 1M5R was promoted with incentives generated by a World Bank project and other initiatives in line with a national policy of increasing the quality of rice production for national and international markets. The interconnections of varied socio-technical systems, enacted by different intermediaries, catalyzed the spread of 1M5R. The widespread adoption by smallholder farmers increased their profits and raised awareness across diverse stakeholder groups of the higher marketability of rice produced with sustainable practices.

Despite the overuse of fertilizer in China, yields have stagnated while environmental pollution has risen. To increase sustainable production, the “Three Controls” Technology (3CT) was adopted in Guangdong Province as an agricultural best management practice for rice production. Its goal is to reduce the fertilizer use of farmers while decreasing the number of unproductive tillers and controlling pests and diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the farmers’ perception of 3CT focusing on three different impact factors: economic, social, and environmental. Using a digital survey questionnaire application, 142 farmers from six villages in Guangdong Province were interviewed to evaluate perceived changes in their farming and livelihood since adopting 3CT. Results showed that the farmers were highly satisfied with 3CT. They perceived positive livelihood changes and increased agronomic performance with reduced fertilizer use. Farmers who had adopted 3CT for the longest perceived significantly higher levels of change, more benefits, and improved agricultural efficiency. The study showed that 3CT is highly appreciated by farmers due to its effectiveness, ease of use, and compatibility. Our model highlighted the relevance of including social and environmental impact analysis for sustainability research in agriculture. Ultimately, 3CT has the potential of being implemented in other regions of China.