“My only wish is that one day, even if our children study higher, have better conditions than us, and no longer work as farmers, when they return to their homeland, they can still see the floods coming, taste the floating rice, watch the field fish swimming, and feel the breath of pure, clean land that our ancestors preserved for them.”
– Nguyen Ngoc Dien, Lang Sen Hamlet, Tay Ninh
👨🌾 Dien’s story is a journey back to floating rice – a specialty of the Dong Thap Muoi wetlands, growing in harmony with the floodwaters, without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. After nearly 30 years of short-term rice farming and melaleuca planting, he decided to cultivate floating rice again – to preserve the soil, bring back the fish, and keep alive the memories of his ancestors.
Nguyen Ngoc Dien in his family’s floating rice field. Photo: WWF
🌱 Today, floating rice is not only a story of memory but also a path to sustainable livelihoods:
✨ Less laborious than regular rice – it grows naturally with the rising waters
✨ Cleaner fields, field fish return, extra income for farmers
✨ Stable purchasing from enterprises, ensuring farmers’ peace of mind
🌱 Floating rice is more than clean food – it is a green story, where people and nature live in harmony.
(Source: WWF)
