Impacts of rice intensification on rural households in the Mekong Delta: emerging relationships between agricultural production, wild food supply and food consumption

Nguyen, Van Kien; Dumaresq, David; Pittock, Jamie

doi:10.1007/s12571-018-0848-6

Cited by 32 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…An Giang Province, located in the western part of the delta is assessed in this case study to examine the impacts of dike development. Since the colonial period , An Giang Province (and the MD in general) has been transformed by the building of a network of canals and, more recently, low and high dikes to support rice cultivation (Nguyen et al 2016). To grow rice in acidic soils and backwater swamps, canals were excavated to wash away the acid (Nguyen Huu Chiem 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the 1990s, many more canals were excavated and this, combined with dike construction, has allowed the cultivation of two or three short-term high-yielding variety (HYV) rice crops per year. Consequently, total rice production of the province increased by over threefold during 1985 to 2017 (Nguyen et al 2018). However, the construction of high dikes has had negative impacts on human health (Berg 2002), wild fisheries (Nguyen et al 2018), and soil and water quality (Chau et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, total rice production of the province increased by over threefold during 1985 to 2017 (Nguyen et al 2018). However, the construction of high dikes has had negative impacts on human health (Berg 2002), wild fisheries (Nguyen et al 2018), and soil and water quality (Chau et al 2015). The purpose of this paper is to understand the impacts of transformation of the Mekong Delta on agriculture, nutrition, water, and energy to inform the sustainable agriculture development of tropical deltas globally.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dikes, rice, and fish: how rapid changes in land use and hydrology have transformed agriculture and subsistence living in the Mekong Delta

2019

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The recent development of high dikes to support rice production, upland crops, cattle rearing, and commercial aquaculture in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta has significantly diminished wild fish catch and aquatic animals that are important food sources for the poor. Changes to agro-ecological systems in An Giang Province during three periods are reviewed: before 1975, when a network of canals was established; during the Doi Moi policy reforms of the 1980s, when a rice-based farming system based on low or August dikes was introduced; and more recently, when a new farming system based on high dikes replaced the low dike system. This most recent transition occurred in parallel with the introduction of large-scale commercial aquaculture and the market economy. Under pressure from government targets and market forces, most farmers are now using the high dikes, fertilizers, pesticides, and pumping technology to produce three rice crops each year. However, the new production systems have severely reduced the habitat available to inland freshwater wild fish and other aquatic food resources. This has negatively impacted nutrition for many poor families who had depended on wild fish caught in the commons for much of their food and offers lessons for development of other tropical delta regions. This paper proposes a research agenda that would investigate the socioeconomic, nutritional, and water and energy use impacts of the changes in production systems that have occurred in rural communities in the Mekong Delta.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dikes, rice, and fish: how rapid changes in land use and hydrology have transformed agriculture and subsistence living in the Mekong Delta

2019

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“…have been an important source of food and nutrition security, and livelihoods for rural communities in low and middle income countries across Asia, including in Bangladesh (Dey et al, 2013), Cambodia (Freed et al, 2020), Lao PDR (Nguyen Khoa et al, 2005;Garaway et al, 2013), Myanmar (Gregory, 2017), and Vietnam (Berg et al, 2017;Nguyen et al, 2018). The level of formal recognition and management support for these fisheries varies greatly, with the greatest support occurring in Cambodia (e.g., Fisheries Administration, 2011; MAFF, 2014).…”

Section: Rice Field Fisheriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The once prolific rice field fisheries of Vietnam's Mekong delta declined in tandem with rice intensification. Although the delta once produced up to 90% of total inland fisheries production in southern Vietnam (Taki, 1975), rural households in the delta have experienced significant decreases in wild fish catch and consumption (Berg et al, 2017;Nguyen et al, 2018).…”

Section: Vietnammentioning

confidence: 99%

Maintaining Diversity of Integrated Rice and Fish Production Confers Adaptability of Food Systems to Global Change

Freed¹,

Barman

Dubois³

et al. 2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Trade‐offs and synergies between dimensions of well‐being among smallholder farmers in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR

Appelt,

Siengsounthone,

Phonekeo

et al. 2024

Sustainable Development

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Agrarian transition is often seen as a pathway towards sustainable development and increasing well‐being for rural households. However, empirical evidence on trade‐offs and synergies between different dimensions of well‐being as a result of agrarian transitions is lacking. We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of 360 households across 12 villages in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR. We find evidence of synergies across different farmer types and between all included well‐being dimensions; economic, food security, health, and gender equality. However, for intensive paddy rice farmers, synergies are predominantly positive, while for non‐intensive cash crop farmers synergies are mostly negative. These findings indicate that development in one well‐being dimension may provide improvements in other dimensions, but that benefits can be difficult to achieve for some types of farmers. Our results further suggest that rural development policies focussing on a single well‐being aspect, for example supporting non‐farm incomes, may have co‐benefits beyond the immediate development targets.

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Impacts of rice intensification on rural households in the Mekong Delta: emerging relationships between agricultural production, wild food supply and food consumption

Cited by 32 publications

References 17 publications

Dikes, rice, and fish: how rapid changes in land use and hydrology have transformed agriculture and subsistence living in the Mekong Delta

Dikes, rice, and fish: how rapid changes in land use and hydrology have transformed agriculture and subsistence living in the Mekong Delta

Maintaining Diversity of Integrated Rice and Fish Production Confers Adaptability of Food Systems to Global Change

Trade‐offs and synergies between dimensions of well‐being among smallholder farmers in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR

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