Impact assessment

Agricultural research on integrated rice–shrimp and mangrove–shrimp farming systems in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

Date released
17 November 2022
ISBN
978-1-922787-40-8
Publication Code
IAS103
Authors

Dr Elizabeth Petersen and Dr Hua Hong Hieu

Overview

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research funded 3 projects between July 1995 and December 2002 on integrated rice–shrimp and mangrove–shrimp farming systems in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. This impact assessment investigates their economic, value-chain, environmental, capacity, scientific, policy, gender and youth impacts.

The projects had high policy and capacity impacts. Without these projects, the policy reforms required for development of these integrated systems would have been substantially delayed, significantly reducing the economic impacts of the projects. Strong capacity-building in all 3 projects catalysed the economic, environmental and scientific impacts of the projects. The projects enhanced the career trajectories of a large number of project participants, many of whom have since held, or currently hold, professional roles with high responsibilities, which have an ongoing and substantive impact in Vietnam.