After the rainy season, nearly 2ha of pineapple fields belonging to Quàng Văn Việt’s family in Na Sang village, Na Sang commune, were covered with weeds. On steep farmland, clearing weeds by hand is labor-intensive, but Việt still chooses manual methods instead of using pesticides. For Việt and many other pineapple growers in the area, caring for the soil and keeping it productive is just as important as protecting their family’s livelihood. On steep hillsides, soil is easily washed away and depleted; once the soil loses its fertility, crops struggle to grow well and produce stable yields.

“Our family’s farmland is mostly on steep slopes, where the soil degrades quickly, so we try to limit the use of pesticides. After the rainy season, when weeds grow heavily, we clear them by hand. It takes more work, but it helps keep the soil in better condition and has less impact on the crops and the environment,” Việt said.

Soil is a key means of production in agriculture. Maintaining its “health” is therefore becoming increasingly important as farmers shift toward more sustainable production and cultivation practices. Many organizations are moving away from pesticides and chemical fertilizers and turning instead to organic fertilizers and biological products to maintain the soil’s long-term productive capacity.

With nearly 5ha of fruit orchards in Mường Thanh ward, the Cara Farm Vietnam Co., Ltd. is stepping up the use of technology to develop greener, cleaner and more sustainable production. To establish a predominantly organic growing area, Cara Farm uses microbial technology to compost agricultural by-products into organic fertilizer and produce biological products for crop care. Its cultivation practices are closely monitored to minimize the use of harmful chemicals and foster a balanced natural ecosystem within the orchards.

Nguyễn Thị Lan Hương, Director of the Cara Farm Vietnam Co., Ltd., said the company is committed to producing clean, safe and environmentally friendly products and therefore places a strong emphasis on organic farming techniques and avoiding harmful chemicals.

“Recognizing that the output of one process can become the input for another, we make use of agricultural by-products as raw materials for producing organic fertilizer, creating a valuable closed-loop farming system. By following the principle of caring for the soil before caring for the crops, we can improve soil fertility, create better growing conditions, extend the productive life of the plants and improve fruit quality,” she said.

The use of readily available organic materials, as demonstrated by the Cara Farm Vietnam Co., Ltd., shows how by-products from crop production, livestock farming and aquaculture, as well as properly sorted and treated household waste, can become raw materials for organic fertilizer production. This not only helps reduce waste and environmental pollution but also provides an additional source of organic fertilizer for agriculture.

Alongside efforts by farmers and businesses, authorities have introduced a range of measures to control the use of chemicals and waste generated during production, particularly used pesticide containers and packaging.

Under the plan for the collection, transportation and treatment of used pesticide containers and packaging in the province for 2025-2030, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has asked commune- and ward-level People’s Committees to develop and issue plans for collecting, transporting and treating used pesticide packaging and to communicate these requirements to organizations and individuals engaged in crop production.

The department is also calling on pesticide retailers, farming households and other organizations and individuals to participate in collection efforts and contribute funding, equipment or manpower.

Chu Thị Thanh Xuân, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, stressed that to prevent soil degradation and nutrient depletion, the sector has called on localities to step up public awareness through training courses, local public-address systems, meetings at commune, village and residential-group levels, as well as other channels such as Zalo and Facebook. The focus is on the safe use of pesticides and the proper collection of used pesticide containers and packaging.

At the same time, the department encourages the application of mechanization, high technology, scientific and technical advances, VietGAP standards, biotechnology and organic farming practices in agricultural production.

These measures are aimed at reducing negative environmental impacts, improving the efficient use of water, fertilizers and agricultural inputs, and producing safe agricultural products.

Achieving this goal requires farmers and businesses across the province to gradually reduce their reliance on harmful chemicals while increasing the use of biotechnology and organic fertilizers. Step by step, these efforts are laying the foundation for Điện Biên’s agriculture to move away from experience-based farming toward greener, safer and higher-value production that is better able to adapt to climate change.