IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolec/v132y2017icp205-212.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rice Intensive Cropping and Balanced Cropping in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam — Economic and Ecological Considerations

Author

Listed:
  • Tong, Yen Dan

Abstract

Rice intensification in Vietnam relies on the construction of high dykes in the Mekong Delta floodplain to prevent flood waters from entering fields during the flood season. This enables three rice crops to be grown annually instead of two. On the floodplain, two rice crops can be described as “balanced cropping” since it has a long fallow period, which conforms to good agricultural practices, and also takes advantage of the flood's benefits. For example, it integrates the natural fish, other aquatic animals, and flood sediments during the flood season as part of the rice field ecosystem. This study surveys agriculture practices among “three crop” and “two crop” farmers on the floodplain. It is argued that planting three crops (“intensive cropping”) cannot provide a sustainable alternative to balanced cropping, either from an economic or an ecological viewpoint. Study findings emphasise the need to recognise the ecological value of balanced cropping systems for an efficient and environmentally sound production of food. In connection with this, it is suggested a case for limiting further dyke heightening since rice intensification, which is the aim of this large-scale water control, does not make economic sense.

Suggested Citation

  • Tong, Yen Dan, 2017. "Rice Intensive Cropping and Balanced Cropping in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam — Economic and Ecological Considerations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 205-212.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:132:y:2017:i:c:p:205-212
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.10.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800915301798
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.10.013?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Baran, E. & Jantunen, T. & Chong, C.K., 2007. "Values of inland fisheries in the Mekong river basin," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 37641, April.
    2. Pretty, J. N. & Brett, C. & Gee, D. & Hine, R. E. & Mason, C. F. & Morison, J. I. L. & Raven, H. & Rayment, M. D. & van der Bijl, G., 2000. "An assessment of the total external costs of UK agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 113-136, August.
    3. Berg, Hakan, 2002. "Rice monoculture and integrated rice-fish farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam--economic and ecological considerations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 95-107, April.
    4. A. Smajgl & T. Q. Toan & D. K. Nhan & J. Ward & N. H. Trung & L. Q. Tri & V. P. D. Tri & P. T. Vu, 2015. "Responding to rising sea levels in the Mekong Delta," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(2), pages 167-174, February.
    5. Yufeng Luo & Haolong Fu & Seydou Traore, 2014. "Biodiversity Conservation in Rice Paddies in China: Toward Ecological Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-18, September.
    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. 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).
    2. An T. N. Dang & Lalit Kumar & Michael Reid, 2020. "Modelling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Rice Cultivation in Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Shen Yuan & Bruce A. Linquist & Lloyd T. Wilson & Kenneth G. Cassman & Alexander M. Stuart & Valerien Pede & Berta Miro & Kazuki Saito & Nurwulan Agustiani & Vina Eka Aristya & Leonardus Y. Krisnadi &, 2021. "Sustainable intensification for a larger global rice bowl," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Silva, João Vasco & Pede, Valerien O. & Radanielson, Ando M. & Kodama, Wataru & Duarte, Ary & de Guia, Annalyn H. & Malabayabas, Arelene Julia B. & Pustika, Arlyna Budi & Argosubekti, Nuning & Vithoon, 2022. "Revisiting yield gaps and the scope for sustainable intensification for irrigated lowland rice in Southeast Asia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    5. Tran, Thong Anh, 2019. "Land use change driven out-migration: Evidence from three flood-prone communities in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    6. 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).
    7. Tran, Thong Anh & Nguyen, Tri Huu & Vo, Thang Tat, 2019. "Adaptation to flood and salinity environments in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Empirical analysis of farmer-led innovations," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 89-97.
    8. E, Jiaqiang & Pham, MinhHieu & Deng, Yuanwang & Nguyen, Tuannghia & Duy, VinhNguyen & Le, DucHieu & Zuo, Wei & Peng, Qingguo & Zhang, Zhiqing, 2018. "Effects of injection timing and injection pressure on performance and exhaust emissions of a common rail diesel engine fueled by various concentrations of fish-oil biodiesel blends," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 979-989.
    9. Robin J. Lovell & Carol Shennan & Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, 2021. "Sustainable and conventional intensification: how gendered livelihoods influence farming practice adoption in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7089-7116, May.
    10. Tran, Dung Duc & van Halsema, Gerardo & Hellegers, Petra J.G.J. & Ludwig, Fulco & Seijger, Chris, 2018. "Stakeholders’ assessment of dike-protected and flood-based alternatives from a sustainable livelihood perspective in An Giang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 187-199.
    11. Van Kien Nguyen & David Dumaresq & Jamie Pittock, 2018. "Impacts of rice intensification on rural households in the Mekong Delta: emerging relationships between agricultural production, wild food supply and food consumption," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(6), pages 1615-1629, December.
    12. Tuan Nghia Nguyen & Nguyen Xuan Khoa & Le Anh Tuan, 2021. "The Correlation of Biodiesel Blends with the Common Rail Diesel Engine’s Performance and Emission Characteristics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, May.
    13. KOJIN, Emi & DO, Van Hoang & NGUYEN, Thiet & ARIMOTO, Yutaka & VO, Hong Tu & MANO, Yukichi & NGUYEN, Duy Can & TSUKADA, Kazunari, 2023. "Government and market initiatives for the governance of fertilizer quality in Vietnam," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-130, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    14. Nguyet Anh Dang & Rubianca Benavidez & Stephanie Anne Tomscha & Ho Nguyen & Dung Duc Tran & Diep Thi Hong Nguyen & Ho Huu Loc & Bethanna Marie Jackson, 2021. "Ecosystem Service Modelling to Support Nature-Based Flood Water Management in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-28, December.

    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. Tran, Thong Anh & Nguyen, Tri Huu & Vo, Thang Tat, 2019. "Adaptation to flood and salinity environments in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Empirical analysis of farmer-led innovations," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 89-97.
    2. 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).
    3. Jongeneel, Roel & Polman, Nico & van der Ham, Corinda, 2014. "Costs and benefits associated with the externalities generated by Dutch agriculture," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182705, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Eric Tollens, 2004. "Biodiversity versus transgenic sugar beet: the one euro question," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 31(1), pages 1-18, March.
    5. Thomas Vendryes, 2014. "Peasants Against Private Property Rights: A Review Of The Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 971-995, December.
    6. Kanchanaroek, Yingluk & Termansen, Mette & Quinn, Claire, 2013. "Property rights regimes in complex fishery management systems: A choice experiment application," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 363-373.
    7. Alexander D. Chapman & Stephen E. Darby & Hoàng M. Hồng & Emma L. Tompkins & Tri P. D. Van, 2016. "Adaptation and development trade-offs: fluvial sediment deposition and the sustainability of rice-cropping in An Giang Province, Mekong Delta," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 593-608, August.
    8. Adrian Sadłowski & Wioletta Wrzaszcz & Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży & Anna Matras-Bolibok & Anna Budzyńska & Marek Angowski & Stefan Mann, 2021. "Direct Payments and Sustainable Agricultural Development—The Example of Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.
    9. Kovacevic, Vujadin & Wesseler, Justus, 2010. "Cost-effectiveness analysis of algae energy production in the EU," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5749-5757, October.
    10. Tait, Peter R. & Cullen, Ross, 2006. "Some External Costs of Dairy Farming in Canterbury," 2006 Conference (50th), February 8-10, 2006, Sydney, Australia 109595, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    11. Lv, Yao & Gu, Shu-zhong & Guo, Dong-mei, 2010. "Valuing environmental externalities from rice-wheat farming in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(7), pages 1436-1442, May.
    12. 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).
    13. Centner, Terence J. & Brewer, Brady & Leal, Isaac, 2018. "Reducing damages from sulfoxaflor use through mitigation measures to increase the protection of pollinator species," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 70-76.
    14. Pearce, David & Koundouri, Phoebe, 2003. "Diffuse Pollution and the Role of Agriculture," MPRA Paper 38443, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Bossio, Deborah & Noble, Andrew D. & Aloysius, Noel & Pretty, J. & Penning de Vries, F., 2008. "Ecosystem benefits of \u2018bright\u2019 spots," IWMI Books, Reports H041603, International Water Management Institute.
    16. Van Passel, Steven, 2008. "Assessing farm sustainability with value oriented methods," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 44141, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Frits K. Van Evert & Daniel Gaitán-Cremaschi & Spyros Fountas & Corné Kempenaar, 2017. "Can Precision Agriculture Increase the Profitability and Sustainability of the Production of Potatoes and Olives?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-24, October.
    18. Chang, Jie & Wu, Xu & Liu, Anqin & Wang, Yan & Xu, Bin & Yang, Wu & Meyerson, Laura A. & Gu, Baojing & Peng, Changhui & Ge, Ying, 2011. "Assessment of net ecosystem services of plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 740-748, February.
    19. Rosa Maria Fanelli, 2021. "Barriers to Adopting New Technologies within Rural Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    20. Jon C Lovett, 2001. "Ownership of Environmental Values and Opportunity Costs," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 19(5), pages 681-693, October.

    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:eee:ecolec:v:132:y:2017:i:c:p:205-212. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolecon .

    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.