From rice bowl to sustainable future: Analysing policy constraints and agritourism opportunities in Vietnam's Mekong Delta

Abstract

This thesis delves into the complex development paradox at the heart of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a region long hailed as the nation’s “rice bowl” and a cornerstone of its food security efforts. For decades, rice-focused policies have played a critical role in stabilising the national economy and ensuring food availability, particularly during global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, this narrow emphasis on rice production has created systemic limitations that now pose significant challenges to the region’s long-term sustainability. Using documentary analysis and thematic interpretation, the study sheds light on the unintended consequences of these legacy policies. It explores how rigid land-use controls and an overdependence on rice farming have led to economic inefficiencies, social strain, and environmental degradation, issues that continue to stifle the Delta’s broader development potential.

In seeking alternatives, the thesis turns its attention to agritourism as a possible avenue for shifting the region’s developmental path. Drawing insights from global literature and Vietnam’s policy framework, it argues that, with careful design and sensitivity to local contexts, agritourism could help diversify the Delta’s economy, foster cultural vitality, and support environmental goals. However, the study also warns against viewing tourism as a catch-all solution. Instead, it advocates for a more coordinated approach, one that involves policy reform, meaningful community engagement, and a gradual, thoughtful integration of tourism alongside traditional livelihoods. The aim is not to replace rice farming, but to supplement it with initiatives that offer more inclusive and resilient growth.

By framing the Mekong Delta’s experience within larger global debates on sustainability, this research contributes to both academic and policy-level discussions about how to balance national priorities with regional needs. Eventually, it calls for a transition away from agricultural monocultures and toward a more flexible, multi-sector economy, one where agritourism could play a supporting, yet significant, role in shaping a fairer, more sustainable future for the region.