Towards more profitable and sustainable vegetable systems in north west Vietnam
Background
The vegetable industry in north western Vietnam faces a number of challenges: rapidly transforming markets; competition from peri-urban and regional producers; poor infrastructure and logistics; and environmental sustainability (nutrient depleted soils, erosion, water availability and quality). Smallholder farmers in this region also tend to have limited engagement with markets outside their local district.
Enhancing the role that vegetables play in rice-based farming systems, producing vegetables that meet consumer demands for safe, high quality and nutrient-rich food and engaging with high-value local, provincial, urban and export markets could provide opportunities for smallholders to improve net household income. This is particularly important as north western Vietnam encompasses some of the poorest provinces in Vietnam. For example, 40% of the population in Lao Cai Province lives below the poverty line.
Project objectives
The overall objective of this project is to enhance the profitability and sustainability of smallholder vegetable farmers in north western Vietnam through improved market engagement and integrated resource and farm management practices. The project is particularly focused on women and ethnic minorities engaged in fresh vegetable value chains in Sa Pa and Bac Ha.
- Identify market opportunities and consumer preferences for indigenous and conventional vegetables in local, provincial, urban and export markets
- Develop and promote competitive and efficient marketing models that deliver high quality safe vegetables, meet consumer demand and benefit smallholders (particularly women and ethnic minorities)
- Develop and demonstrate whole-farm management practices that improve sustainability, productivity and household livelihoods in (i) rice-vegetable and (ii) vegetable-only systems
- Develop sustainable models for up-scaling extension programs (particularly targeting women smallholders) and building capacity in research, development and extension
Project materials
Videos:
- Dr Suzie Newman, GFAR Adjunct Senior Lecturer, describes the project context and expected outcomes
- Chef Luke Nguyen travels to Lao Cai, Vietnam to understand the impact of the project for local vegetable growers
- The Crawford Fund, ACIAR and GFAR teamed up to train young researchers in southeast Asia in the latest agriculture business skills
- The project has offered farmers an opportunity to improve their livelihoods and reduce poverty, this film highlights some of the key impacts and outcomes
- Highlights and key change cases for farmers that participated in the project's Farmer Business Schools (a program using a learning-by-doing approach, to support farmers to orient their businesses toward markets).
ACIAR Partners Magazine articles:
- Women Working Wonders, Issue 1, 2014
- Made in Vietnam by Women, Issue 1, 2016
- Luke Nguyen's recipe for prawn mousse wrapped in cabbage leaves, Issue 1, 2017
- Quality vegetables find their markets, Issue 4, 2017, page 10-13.
- Opportunities in changing markets, Issue 4, 2017, page 11.
- Addressing child under-nutrition in Lao Cai, Issue 4, 2017, page 30.
Media:
- Counter season vegetables help improve women's lives in north-western Vietnam, ABC Rural, March 2018
Urban food consumption and expenditure study:
This project co-implemented a comprehensive survey of 2000 Vietnamese households to understand food expenditure and consumption preferences and behaviours.
- We have produced a series of factsheets to detail our findings.
Posters with key outcomes to-date (2016):
- Managing club root disease of cabbages in Sa Pa, Vietnam
- Nitrogen response of cabbage, H’mong mustard and broccoli, Lao Cai, Vietnam
- Nutrient budgeting for vegetables in Lao Cai, Vietnam
- Identifying pests and diseases in vegetable farming systems in Sa Pa and Bac Ha, Vietnam
- Does vegetable production lead to improved diet quality? The case of Lao Cai, Vietnam
- Participatory action research for vegetable quality guarantee and smallholder income improvement
- Building capacity in plant disease diagnosis and disease management
- Preparation and use of soil and plant reference materials to improve the of chemical analysis at SFRI, Vietnam
- SFRI analytical laboratories – capabilities and QA implementation
Project partners
Collaborating organisations:
- University of Queensland, Australia
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia
- Vietnam Women's Union, Vietnam
- Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam
- Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Vietnam
- Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, Vietnam
- Soil and Fertiliser Research Institute, Vietnam
- National Institute of Medicinal Materials, Vietnam
- Plant Protection sub-Department Lao Cai, Vietnam
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Asia, Vietnam
Funding:
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR Project AGB/2012/059), 2014-2018
Contact
GFAR researchers involved in this project: