Impact of COVID-19 on farmers’ resilience in Vietnam

Details

Supervisors

Goedele Van den Broeck

Faculty

Faculté des bioingénieurs

Degree label

Master [120] : bioingénieur en sciences agronomiques, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Resilience has emerged as a critical concern in both scientific and policy discussions, driven by the increasing unpredictability of biophysical, social, and economic systems. Climate change and globalization have exacerbated these uncertainties, making it imperative to address vulnerabilities. Failure to do so could amplify risks across interconnected systems, including agriculture. The agricultural sector is particularly vital in ASEAN countries, such as Vietnam, where it plays a key role in economic growth, poverty alleviation, and food security. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified challenges for farmers, limiting market access and causing significant income losses. This highlights the pressing need for modern resilience strategies and improved crisis management, especially in vulnerable rural areas. Despite the recognized importance of resilience in agriculture, particularly in enhancing farmers' ability to withstand and recover from crises, there is a notable research gap. Limited studies have explored the resilience of farmers and food supply chains using panel data, especially in relation to COVID-19. The unexpected nature of the pandemic has further contributed to this scarcity of panel data-driven research. This study aims to fill this gap by utilizing an existing panel dataset to explore different methods for analyzing resilience. In doing so, it underscores the need for a common framework for resilience assessment. The study's results reveal significant changes in both farm and farmer characteristics between 2018 and 2022, with a decline in the diversity of farming systems. Analyzing these changes through the resilience framework of robustness, adaptability, and transformability, the findings suggest that robustness was the most frequently employed resilience capacity in response to COVID-19. While diversity and system reserve occasionally contributed to recovery and impact mitigation, their effectiveness varied, pointing to the complexity of resilience in agricultural systems during health crises. This research represents a preliminary but important step in understanding farmers' resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The insights it offers into farmers' behaviors and strategies can inform more effective responses in the future, aiding not only farmers in improving their resilience but also governments and organizations in developing policies and support mechanisms tailored to enhance resilience in the agricultural sector.