Sustainability of the rice-shrimp farming system in Mekong Delta, Vietnam: a climate adaptive model

Huy Duc Dang

doi:10.1108/jed-08-2019-0027

Abstract

PurposeAgricultural systems in Mekong Delta have transformed to cope with climate change. Various researches pointed out that integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) farming systems (i.e., rice-shrimp, rice-fish…) emerged as potential climate adaptive practices. However, limited studies are attempting to assess the sustainability of these agricultural practices. Therefore, it is essential to assess whether or not these systems will be sustainable in the context of climate change and what can be done to make it sustainable. The present study conducted the sustainability assessment of the rice-shrimp system to identify potential areas for improvement as well as policy implication to increase resilience and adaptation of coastal IAA system which could contribute to the understanding of other coastal agricultural deltas around the globe.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative approach including the assessment protocol of van Asselt et al. (2014), the assessment framework of Vanloon et al. (2005), and the MCA methodology to flexibly and holistically assess the sustainability level of agricultural systems.FindingsResults concluded that rice-shrimp systems have the potential to improve livelihood, food security, and adaptation of coastal farmers. Major improvements should be considered for productivity, efficiency, and equity themes, while minor improvements can be made for stability, durability, and compatibility themes.Originality/valueThis research could be used as a guideline for sustainability assessment in a context-specific case study of IAA, which showed a potential for the application of other climate-smart IAAs in similar contexts around the globe.

Highlights

Back in the early 1990s, in Mekong Delta, rice culture dominated farming activities in terms of meeting subsistence needs, and other livelihood alternatives including aquaculture, fruit production, and livestock were trivial (Nhan et al, 2007)
This study aimed at investigating the sustainability of rice-shrimp, the most popular Integrated agriculture-aquaculture systems (IAA) farming system in the study area, to determine how farmers can adapt to climate change, and to recommend possible adaptations, if any, for current farming practices
Comparing the sustainability of the rice-shrimp farming system of the two communes, Binh Dai commune was prominent in every aspect of the assessment

Summary

Introduction

Back in the early 1990s, in Mekong Delta, rice culture dominated farming activities in terms of meeting subsistence needs, and other livelihood alternatives including aquaculture, fruit production, and livestock were trivial (Nhan et al, 2007). Since 1999, the Vietnamese government has promoted diversification in agriculture by increasing the contribution of aquaculture, while shrinking down the proportion of rice in the total agriculture production output (Luu, 2002). From 2010 to 2017, aquaculture in Ben Tre province grew faster than both fisheries and rice paddy as a whole (GSO, 2017). The growth rate of aquaculture production was approximately 54 percent, while that of fisheries was approximately 43 percent. The production of rice paddy decreased by 34 percent, giving room to aquaculture by following the aim of the province.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion