Impacts of Rice Technology Improvement and Market Development on Household Food Security and Soil Erosion in the Northwest of Viet Nam

Trần Chí Thiện Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 60(12/1): 29 - 35

Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên http://www.Lrc-tnu.edu.vn

IMPACTS OF RICE TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT AND

MARKET DEVELOPMENT ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY AND

SOIL EROSION IN THE NORTHWEST OF VIET NAM

Tran Chi Thien

Economics and Business Administration - Thai Nguyen University

SUMMARY

In Northwestern Uplands of Vietnam, minority people are living in food-shortage condition.

Overpopulation leads to overexploitation of resources which, in turn, leads to the resource

degradation that reduces crop productivity, and then the food insecurity can be observed.

This is likely to lead to a further intensification in upland farming, a further reduction in crop yield

and ultimately to a downward spiral where reductions in fallow period and crop yield reinforce

each other. This paper aims to explore the extent to which the productivity enhancement of rice

production and market development can be effective entry points in encouraging the

diversification and commercialization of upland farming systems in order to ensure

food security, income generation and soil erosion reduction.

Key words: food security, household income, rice technology improvement, market development,

soil erosion.

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INTRODUCTION

Vietnam has become the second largest

rice exporter in the world market.

However, in mountainous regions of

Vietnam, especially Northwest region,

household food security still is a big problem.

Owning limited lowland endowment, having

limited access to market, millions of ethnic

minority people in highlands are still in food￾shortage condition. With high population

growth rate, food self-provisioning

strategies usually accompany with

unsustainable farming practices.

Overexploitation of resources leads to the

resource degradation that reduces crop

productivity, and then the food insecurity

can be observed. This is likely to lead to a

further intensification in upland farming, a

further reduction in crop yield and ultimately

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Tran Chi Thien, Email: [email protected]

to a downward spiral where reductions in

fallow period and crop yield reinforce each

other. Upland people will not be able to

overcome hunger, poverty, and integrate into

the main stream of the whole nation

development, unless they escape from this

downward spiral.

This paper aims to explore the extent to which

the productivity enhancement of rice

production and market development can be

effective entry points in encouraging the

diversification and commercialization of

upland farming systems in order to

ensure food security, income generation

and soil erosion reduction.

Economic model for crop choice

In market economy, production is based on

the comparative advantage. It is true for land￾use. Region that has a comparative

advantage in growing a food crop will

specialize in food crop production and