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The aim of this study was to characterise rice production in the Savannakhet Plain, which has long been a major rice bowl for Laos. As this is one of the most productive and commercialised rice-growing regions in the country, an understanding of farmers' circumstances and strategies can give a good indication of how rice policy is working out in practice. If rice farmers in this region face substantial constraints on production, those in other settings will be even less able to meet government policy targets.

Vegetable safety is a public concern in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam—developing countries in Southeast Asia. Eliminating this concern requires insight into factors shaping it. Food risk perception might differ among countries due to the dissimilarities in culture, social, and economic conditions. However, an understanding on this difference is lacking in Southeast Asia. This paper is the first attempt to compare factors influencing risk perception of vegetables in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Principle component analysis and ordered logit regression were employed on a sample of 1,199 consumers from the three countries. We found trust and perception of hazards influenced risk perception across countries. Gender shaped risk perception in Laos and Vietnam. The importance of vegetables and risk information determined risk perception in Vietnam only, while hazard knowledge and homegrown vegetables were predictors of risk perception solely in Cambodia. Since Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam are inhomogeneous in risk perception, policy measures to address food risk perception should be tailored to each country.