IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/phajad/165780.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Agriculture Diversification in the Mekong Delta: Farmers’ Motives and Contributions to Livelihoods

Author

Listed:
  • Bosma, Roel H.
  • Udo, Henk M.J.
  • Verreth, Johan A.J.
  • Visser, Leontine E.
  • Nam, Cao Quoc

Abstract

Although specialization is the global trend in agriculture, integrated farming systems have emerged in Vietnam. An important motive was the desire to improve the livelihoods and the diet of the nuclear families; this was evident in the analysis using the household life cycle of five phases. Off-farm diversification was especially important for a new household. At the onset of expansion, the new mothers replaced off-farm with homebound activities. During expansion the farmers increased virtual farm size by keeping more livestock; during accumulation they invested in land or education, and during consolidation old couples adjusted farm activities to their labor capacity. Livestock, including fish, was essential for livelihood. The distribution of goats instead of cattle by credit or by “passing-on-the-gift” was far more effective for poverty alleviation. Technological innovations on the cultivation of rice and fruits, and the breeding of fish were essential for change. The improved food security and reduced cash income from rice after the 1986 reforms pushed farmers to take risks. The farm area and number of component farm activities providing cash determined the level of cash income from agriculture. Farms with at least four flows of biomass between components earned more, demonstrating that real integration improved profits. A minimum area of land in, or close to, the homestead, and know-how are required for an effective integration of components.

Suggested Citation

  • Bosma, Roel H. & Udo, Henk M.J. & Verreth, Johan A.J. & Visser, Leontine E. & Nam, Cao Quoc, 2005. "Agriculture Diversification in the Mekong Delta: Farmers’ Motives and Contributions to Livelihoods," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), vol. 2(1-2), pages 1-18, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:phajad:165780
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.165780
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/165780/files/AJAD_2005_2_1_2_5Bosma.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.165780?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Frank Ellis, 1998. "Household strategies and rural livelihood diversification," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 1-38.
    2. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "The origins and practice of participatory rural appraisal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(7), pages 953-969, July.
    3. Prein, M., 2002. "Integration of aquaculture into crop-animal systems in Asia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 71(1-2), pages 127-146.
    4. Allison, Edward H. & Ellis, Frank, 2001. "The livelihoods approach and management of small-scale fisheries," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 377-388, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sheila M W Reddy & Theodore Groves & Sriniketh Nagavarapu, 2014. "Consequences of a Government-Controlled Agricultural Price Increase on Fishing and the Coral Reef Ecosystem in the Republic of Kiribati," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(5), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Quandt, Amy, 2018. "Measuring livelihood resilience: The Household Livelihood Resilience Approach (HLRA)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 253-263.
    3. Novak Colwell, Julia M. & Axelrod, Mark & Salim, Shyam S. & Velvizhi, S., 2017. "A Gendered Analysis of Fisherfolk’s Livelihood Adaptation and Coping Responses in the Face of a Seasonal Fishing Ban in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 325-337.
    4. Lun Yang & Moucheng Liu & Qingwen Min, 2019. "Natural Disasters, Public Policies, Family Characteristics, or Livelihood Assets? The Driving Factors of Farmers’ Livelihood Strategy Choices in a Nature Reserve," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Martin, Sarah M. & Lorenzen, Kai, 2016. "Livelihood Diversification in Rural Laos," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 231-243.
    6. Lorenzen, Kai & Smith, Laurence & Nguyen-Khoa, Sophie & Burton, Martin & Garaway, Caroline, 2007. "Management of impacts of irrigation development on fisheries: guidance manual," IWMI Books, International Water Management Institute, number 137956.
    7. Lorenzen, K. & Smith, L. & Nguyen Khoa, S. & Burton, M. & Garaway, C. & Worldfish Center & International Water Management Institute, 2006. "Guidance manual : Management of impacts of irrigation development on fisheries," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 37166, April.
    8. Chenjia Zhang & Yiping Fang & Xiujuan Chen & Tian Congshan, 2019. "Bibliometric Analysis of Trends in Global Sustainable Livelihood Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-28, February.
    9. van Oostenbrugge, J. A. E. & van Densen, W. L. T. & Machiels, M. A. M., 2004. "How the uncertain outcomes associated with aquatic and land resource use affect livelihood strategies in coastal communities in the Central Moluccas, Indonesia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 57-91, October.
    10. Ferrol-Schulte, Daniella & Wolff, Matthias & Ferse, Sebastian & Glaser, Marion, 2013. "Sustainable Livelihoods Approach in tropical coastal and marine social–ecological systems: A review," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 253-258.
    11. Ferrol-Schulte, Daniella & Gorris, Philipp & Baitoningsih, Wasistini & Adhuri, Dedi S. & Ferse, Sebastian C.A., 2015. "Coastal livelihood vulnerability to marine resource degradation: A review of the Indonesian national coastal and marine policy framework," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 163-171.
    12. Heenan, Adel & Pomeroy, Robert & Bell, Johann & Munday, Philip L. & Cheung, William & Logan, Cheryl & Brainard, Russell & Yang Amri, Affendi & Aliño, Porfirio & Armada, Nygiel & David, Laura & Rivera-, 2015. "A climate-informed, ecosystem approach to fisheries management," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 182-192.
    13. Reuben J Sulu & Hampus Eriksson & Anne-Maree Schwarz & Neil L Andrew & Grace Orirana & Meshach Sukulu & Janet Oeta & Daykin Harohau & Stephen Sibiti & Andrew Toritela & Douglas Beare, 2015. "Livelihoods and Fisheries Governance in a Contemporary Pacific Island Setting," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(11), pages 1-23, November.
    14. Olale, Edward & Henson, Spencer, 2013. "The impact of income diversification among fishing communities in Western Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 90-99.
    15. D’Souza Amabel & Brenda Parlee, 2020. "Fishing Livelihoods and Diversifications in the Mekong River Basin in the Context of the Pak Mun Dam, Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    16. Philip Antwi-Agyei & Andrew Dougill & Evan Fraser & Lindsay Stringer, 2013. "Characterising the nature of household vulnerability to climate variability: empirical evidence from two regions of Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 903-926, August.
    17. Makame Omar Makame & Sheona E Shackleton & Walter Leal Filho, 2023. "Coping with and adapting to climate and non-climate stressors within the small-scale farming, fishing and seaweed growing sectors, Zanzibar," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(3), pages 3377-3399, April.
    18. Robin Biddulph & Pelle Amberntsson, 2017. "Whose Reality Counts? Critical Junctures in Livelihood Trajectories Under Deforestation," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(5), pages 540-553, October.
    19. Orr, Alastair & Mwale, Blessings, 2001. "Adapting to Adjustment: Smallholder Livelihood Strategies in Southern Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(8), pages 1325-1343, August.
    20. Dao Duy Minh & Philippe Lebailly & Nguyen Dang Hao & Ho Thi Minh Hop, 2019. "The Evolution of Migration: The Case of Coastal Sandy Zone in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(4), pages 156-165.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:phajad:165780. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/searcph.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.