The effects of land tenure policy on rural livelihoods

and food sufficiency in the upland village of Que,

North Central Vietnam
Jakobsen J., Rasmussen K., Leisz S., Folving R., Quang N.V.
Department of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark;
Center for Agricultural Research and Ecological Studies (CARES), Hanoi Agricultural University, Gia Lam,
Hanoi, Viet Nam

Abstract: The paper documents how the implementation of the land tenure policy of the Vietnamese
government has affected the agricultural system, livelihood strategies and food self-sufficiency of Thai
farmers in a remote upland village, Que, in Nghe An Province, North Central Vietnam. It is shown that the
enforcement of restrictions on the area under swidden agriculture has resulted in a strong reduction of
swidden agriculture production and shortened fallow periods, not compensated for by the slow increase in
paddy rice production. It is suggested that while the changes imposed on land use certainly lead to an
increase in forest cover, it is likely that the shortened fallow cycle on the land allocated to swiddening will
lead to declining yields and replacement of forest fallow by bush and grass fallow, and thus to decreases in
labour productivity. It is discussed whether there are options open to farmers for changing their portfolio of
income generating activities in order to maintain and improve food self-sufficiency, income and living
conditions. Finally, new trends in Vietnamese land tenure policy are outlined, and their possible implications
discussed. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Author Keywords: Agricultural transformation; Ca river Valley; Food security; Forestland allocation;
Swidden; Vietnam
Index Keywords: agricultural change; agricultural worker; fallow; food security; household income; labor
productivity; land tenure; land use; landownership; policy analysis; policy implementation; rural
development; self sufficiency; shifting cultivation; socioeconomic impact; Asia; Ca River; Eurasia; Nghe
An; Que; Southeast Asia; Viet Nam

Year: 2007
Source title: Agricultural Systems
Volume: 94
Issue: 2
Page : 309-319
Cited by: 12
Link: Scorpus Link
Correspondence Address: Jakobsen, J.; Department of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster
Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark; email: jakobsenjens@hotmail.com
ISSN: 0308521X
CODEN: AGSYD
DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2006.09.007
Language of Original Document: English
Abbreviated Source Title: Agricultural Systems
Document Type: Article
Source: Scopus
Authors with affiliations:
1. Jakobsen, J., Department of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
2. Rasmussen, K., Department of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
3. Leisz, S., Department of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
4. Folving, R., Department of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
5. Quang, N.V., Center for Agricultural Research and Ecological Studies (CARES), Hanoi Agricultural University, Gia Lam,
Hanoi, Viet Nam
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