IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i14p10873-d1191592.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing Stakeholders’ Preferences for Future Rice Farming Practices in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Håkan Berg

    (Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Simon Dang

    (Department of Business Administration, Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City 72911, Vietnam
    Department of Marketing, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia)

  • Nguyen Thanh Tam

    (Faculty of Fishery, Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City 72911, Vietnam)

Abstract

Rice farming is the dominating agriculture activity in the Mekong Delta and has been of significant importance for the region’s economic development, but it has also had an impact on the environment. Recent governmental policies emphasize the need for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture; however, policy reforms pushing for transformation towards sustainable socio-agricultural systems are compounded by a lack of coherent and shared visions. Gaps between policy making and implementation and stakeholders’ divergent visions of what is meant by sustainable agriculture and how that can be achieved hinder progress. To address this, the Q-methodology was used to elucidate and integrate different perspectives from 41 stakeholders on 35 statements related to agriculture developments in the Mekong Delta. Under the theoretical lens of sustainability, and ecosystem services, the results unveiled four major development schemes, namely production through intensification, sustainable intensification, production through nature, and people and nature in balance. The majority of the stakeholders in this study believed that future agriculture strategies in the Mekong Delta should be designed to promote more diverse and integrated farming methods, emphasizing the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development. They acknowledged the multifunctional benefits of rice field ecosystems and emphasized the importance of supporting, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services for a long-term and healthy production of food and increased resilience of the Delta’s social-ecological systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Håkan Berg & Simon Dang & Nguyen Thanh Tam, 2023. "Assessing Stakeholders’ Preferences for Future Rice Farming Practices in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-15, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:14:p:10873-:d:1191592
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/14/10873/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/14/10873/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Iofrida, Nathalie & De Luca, Anna Irene & Gulisano, Giovanni & Strano, Alfio, 2018. "An application of Q-methodology to Mediterranean olive production – stakeholders' understanding of sustainability issues," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 46-55.
    2. van Aalst, M.A. & Koomen, E. & Tran, D.D. & Hoang, H.M. & Nguyen, H.Q. & de Groot, H.L.F., 2023. "The economic sustainability of rice farming and its influence on farmer decision-making in the upper Mekong delta, Vietnam," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    3. Hong Quan Nguyen & Dorien Korbee & Huu Loc Ho & Jacob Weger & Phan Thi Thanh Hoa & Nguyen Thi Thanh Duyen & Pham Dang Manh Hong Luan & Thi Tang Luu & Dang Ho Phuong Thao & Ngo Thi Thu Trang & Leon Her, 2019. "Farmer adoptability for livelihood transformations in the Mekong Delta: a case in Ben Tre province," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(9), pages 1603-1618, July.
    4. Noori Akhtar-Danesh, 2018. "qfactor: A command for Q-methodology analysis," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 18(2), pages 432-446, June.
    5. Sofia Maniatakou & Håkan Berg & Giorgos Maneas & Tim M. Daw, 2020. "Unravelling Diverse Values of Ecosystem Services: A Socio-Cultural Valuation Using Q Methodology in Messenia, Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-25, December.
    6. Craig W. Hutton & Oliver Hensengerth & Tristan Berchoux & Van P. D. Tri & Thi Tong & Nghia Hung & Hal Voepel & Stephen E. Darby & Duong Bui & Thi N. Bui & Nguyen Huy & Daniel Parsons, 2021. "Stakeholder Expectations of Future Policy Implementation Compared to Formal Policy Trajectories: Scenarios for Agricultural Food Systems in the Mekong Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Binh, Nguyen Thanh & Thuy Tien, Le Van & Thi Tang, Luu & Tu, Nguyen Minh & Dung, Tran Duc & Quan, Nguyen Hong, 2022. "Resilience of various innovative water management practices: The case of rice production in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta floodplains," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Håkan Berg & Nguyen Thanh Tam & Thai Huynh Phuong Lan & Chau Thi Da, 2024. "Enhanced Food-Production Efficiencies through Integrated Farming Systems in the Hau Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-13, July.

    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. van Aalst, M.A. & Koomen, E. & Tran, D.D. & Hoang, H.M. & Nguyen, H.Q. & de Groot, H.L.F., 2023. "The economic sustainability of rice farming and its influence on farmer decision-making in the upper Mekong delta, Vietnam," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    2. Röös, E. & Wood, A. & Säll, S. & Abu Hatab, A. & Ahlgren, S. & Hallström, E. & Tidåker, P. & Hansson, H., 2023. "Diagnostic, regenerative or fossil-free - exploring stakeholder perceptions of Swedish food system sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    3. Lumumba, Brian Omondi & Otieno, David Jakinda & Nyikal, Rose Adhiambo, 2024. "Exploring farmers’ perspectives on desert locust management in Kenya: a comparison of Q and R-methodologies," IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India 344320, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
    4. Loc, Ho Huu & Park, Edward & Thu, Tran Ngoc & Diep, Nguyen Thi Hong & Can, Nguyen Trong, 2021. "An enhanced analytical framework of participatory GIS for ecosystem services assessment applied to a Ramsar wetland site in the Vietnam Mekong Delta," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Dam, Thi Huyen Trang & Tur-Cardona, Juan & Speelman, Stijn & Amjath-Babu, T.S. & Sam, Anu Susan & Zander, Peter, 2021. "Incremental and transformative adaptation preferences of rice farmers against increasing soil salinity - Evidence from choice experiments in north central Vietnam," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    6. Jenel Ituriaga & Klint Allen Mariñas & Charmine Sheena Saflor, 2024. "Enhancing Government Services to Rice Farmers in the Philippines: A Service Quality–Sustainability-Focused Approach for Long-Term Agricultural Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-24, September.
    7. Mucahid Mustafa Bayrak & Tran Hieu & Thong Anh Tran & Yi-Ya Hsu & Tung Nien & Dang Thi Thanh Quynh, 2023. "Climate change adaptation responses and human mobility in the Mekong Delta: local perspectives from rural households in An Giang Province, Vietnam," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Meiying Xie & Xiang Cai & Zhengli Xu & Nan Zhou & Dongqing Yan, 2022. "Factors contributing to abandonment of household biogas digesters in rural China: a study of stakeholder perspectives using Q-methodology," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 7698-7724, June.
    9. Berchoux, Tristan & Hutton, Craig W. & Hensengerth, Oliver & Voepel, Hal E. & Tri, Van P.D. & Vu, Pham T. & Hung, Nghia N. & Parsons, Dan & Darby, Stephen E., 2023. "Effect of planning policies on land use dynamics and livelihood opportunities under global environmental change: Evidence from the Mekong Delta," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    10. Jeffrey E Black & Kathrin Kopke & Cathal O’Mahony, 2019. "Towards a Circular Economy: Using Stakeholder Subjectivity to Identify Priorities, Consensus, and Conflict in the Irish EPS/XPS Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-20, December.
    11. Tsukada,Kazunari & Arimoto,Yutaka & Kojin,Emi & Mano,Yukichi & Lan Nguyen,Kim, 2023. "Cumulative Effects of Intensified Cropping Cycles: Triple Rice Cropping in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," IDE Discussion Papers 899, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    12. Brück, Maria & Abson, David J. & Fischer, Joern & Schultner, Jannik, 2022. "Broadening the scope of ecosystem services research: Disaggregation as a powerful concept for sustainable natural resource management," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    13. Lam Van Tan & Thanh Tran & Ho Huu Loc, 2020. "Soil and Water Quality Indicators of Diversified Farming Systems in a Saline Region of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, February.
    14. Fahma Fiqhiyyah Nur Azizah & Hiroe Ishihara & Aiora Zabala & Yutaro Sakai & Gede Suantika & Nobuyuki Yagi, 2020. "Diverse Perceptions on Eco-Certification for Shrimp Aquaculture in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-19, November.
    15. Ngo Thi Thu Trang & Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang & Ho Huu Loc & Edward Parke, 2023. "Mainstreaming ecotourism as an ecosystem-based adaptation in Vietnam: insights from three different value chain models," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(9), pages 10465-10483, September.
    16. Karalliyadda, S.M.C.B. & Kazunari, Tsuji & Fujimura, Miho, 2023. "Managing rain-fed uplands of cascaded tank village systems: What stakeholders really suggest?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    17. Melese Mulu Baylie & Csaba Fogarassy, 2021. "Examining the Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Net Crop Income in the Ethiopian Nile Basin: A Ricardian Fixed Effect Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-16, June.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:14:p:10873-:d:1191592. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.