Like other South-East Asia countries, Vietnam is a leading rice producer in the world. The country is the sixth-largest rice producer, with more than 27.1 million metric tons of rice every year (Lamb, 2019). The bid for increased rice production has pushed the country’s farmers and the government to adopt unsustainable farming practices. Additionally, most lands in the country are subjected to the adverse effects of overproduction. Inherently, rice farming has a detrimental impact on the natural environment.
The first element is to be investigated in this research is the contribution of rice farming to global warming. Rice farming results in environmental pollution impacts similar to those witnessed in coal plants (Hou et al., 2021). Such statistics indicate the detrimental impacts that rice farming in Vietnam has on the global climate. The country’s rice production takes place in flooded areas, especially in Northern Vietnam.
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Another issue of consideration in this research will be monoculture in Vietnam’s rice farming. By definition, monoculture is the practice of planting one crop throughout a growing area. The practices lead to increased susceptibility of crops to diseases, nutrient depletion, and drought. Over the years, Vietnam’s rice-producing regions have embraced monoculture, with rice being the only crop produced in the areas. However, with the growing populations, the cultivation lands could soon be exhausted, thus leading to smaller growing fields and reduced productivity due to the monoculture practice. The monoculture practice could increase rice production costs due to increased demands for pesticides and fertilizers (Hou et al., 2021). Therefore, farmers in Vietnam must embrace sustainable farming practices like crop rotation and traditional pest-control mechanisms to ensure increased sustainability. This study examines how Vietnamese farmers’ use of monoculture impacts the environment and how the current situation can be improved by the use of sustainable farming.
This study will also examine the issue of chemical use in rice farming. Rice production demands various chemicals aimed at controlling pests and ensuring increased productivity. However, the use of chemicals in Vietnamese rice production has led to environmental pollution. In essence, the applied chemicals are drained into water sources like rivers, thus risking animal and human lives. For instance, the Mekong River Delta is highly polluted due to river farming, which has led to a decline in fish population in the river. This study will also examine how the farmers can embrace sustainable farming practices to preserve nature, especially water sources.
Importance of the Research
The study topic is highly important because it outlines will reduce the current pressure placed on Vietnam’s natural resources. With sustainable rice farming, the country will be able to realize increased productivity without straining natural resources ( Parasuraman et al., 2019) . For instance, the farming practices will protect the water catchments while also promoting natural soil productivity.
Research Questions
1. Are the current Vietnamese rice farming practices environmentally friendly?
2. How can the practices be enhanced to ensure sustainability?
3. How will the adoption of sustainable rice farming practices impact productivity?
Methodology
In addressing the listed questions, the study will involve both qualitative and quantitative techniques. In the qualitative aspect, the study will review various materials related to sustainable rice farming in South-East Asia. In this case, the study will focus on materials that show the relationship between sustainable farming and productivity. The qualitative aspect will also examine how the current paradigm affects the environment. In the quantitative aspect, data will be collected from the farmers to examine various relationships. For instance, questions on the number of years they have practiced monoculture and the inheritance of farms from parents who also practiced monoculture will be answered. In the end, there will be a clear connection between unsustainable farming practices and the straining of natural resources. Data analysis will involve using the collected data to understand the best practices that can be adopted.
References
Hou, J., et al. (2021). Nutrient accumulation from excessive nutrient surplus caused by shifting from rice monoculture to rice–crayfish rotation. Environmental Pollution , 271 , 116367.
Lamb, E. (2019). Should we eat less rice? Scientific American. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/roots-of-unity/should-we-eat-less-rice/
Parasuraman, P.et al. (2019). Phyllosphere microbiome: functional importance in sustainable agriculture. In New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering (pp. 135-148). Elsevier.
