Saline intrusion is increasingly threatening the rice farming system in The Mekong River Delta (MRD). Identifying the impact of this disaster on rice farming and providing promptly adaptable solutions is an urgent issue. This study evaluates the influence of saline intrusion on rice productivity of households in the MRD. We utilize the quasi-experimental method, the difference-in-difference (DID) method, with farm level panel data on rice farming extracted from the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) in 2014 and 2016. The empirical results indicate that households affected by saline intrusion have lower total production and lower productivity compared to the unaffected group. The affected group has lower total revenue of approximately 4969.8 thousand VND per ha and lower net revenue, on an average of 4679.3 thousand VND per ha, compared to the comparable unaffected group. Among the subsamples of different regions, the damage magnitude of households in severely affected regions by salinity intrusion is higher than in less severely affected areas. Some policy implications that can be proposed from this research are that the management agency should continue to update information on weather and climate change scenarios for forecasting and timely information for rice farmers. The agency comprehensively evaluates the effectiveness of transformed models of sustainable agricultural production adapted to salinity intrusion and replicates high-effective production models; restructure rice cultivation following the salinity intrusion level of each locality.

This study examines the effects of natural disasters, such as typhoons, floods, droughts, and pest infestations, on the technical efficiency of rice production in Vietnam. Employing stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), the research estimates the technical efficiency in rice production of 2394 farmers from the 2018 Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey (VARHS) dataset. The findings indicate that the average technical efficiency of rice production among these farmers is 78.99%. Exposure to natural disasters and pest infestations leads farmers to reduce their investments in rice production, resulting in decreased technical efficiency, lower yields, and reduced profitability. Among the various disasters, droughts have the most significant adverse impact on technical efficiency in rice production. The results highlight the limited capacity of farmers to cope with the challenges posed by natural disasters in rice production. The study emphasizes the importance of providing timely support to farmers, fostering resilience within the context of rice farming, and enhancing agricultural sustainability in Vietnam. To address these challenges effectively, policymakers are advised to prioritize facilitating farmers’ access to agricultural insurance. Additionally, encouraging income diversification among farmers becomes crucial to ensuring provisions in the case of income loss from rice production due to natural disasters or pest infestations. Moreover, measures such as promoting climate-smart agricultural practices, improving water management infrastructure, establishing early warning systems, and emphasizing pest and disease control measures can be implemented to mitigate losses resulting from natural disasters and pest infestations.

This study examines the impact of women empowerment in agricultural production on household rice production in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, based on interview data from 281 rice farmers. Using the Abbreviated Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A‐WEAI), the study finds that 73.7% of women were considered empowered in agricultural production, with an average overall empowerment score of 0.84. The study identifies Leadership as the foremost component responsible for women's disempowerment. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis demonstrates that empowering women increases household rice productivity by 0.457 tons per hectare and 4.035 tons per farmer. Furthermore, women empowerment enhances rice income by 24.168 million VND per farmer and 2.805 million VND per hectare. This study conducts additional robustness analyses to confirm the result's consistency. Additionally, the study examines the difference in rice production outcomes between women empowered in four domains versus five domains, finding that achieving four out of the five domains of the A‐WEAI ensures women empowerment. These findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions that promote women empowerment and contribute to sustainable agricultural development.

Reducing poverty and ensuring food security are critical sustainable development goals for countries like Vietnam. However, research investigating the relationship between these goals remains limited. This study seeks to explore the correlation between poverty alleviation and food security in Vietnam's rural areas, offering insights for policymakers to address both objectives simultaneously. We applied Vietnam's multidimensional poverty standard to determine if households classified as poor in 2016 had managed to escape poverty by 2018. We utilized the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and per capita food expenditure to examine the consumption patterns and food security levels within these households. Panel data encompassing 407 low-income households, gathered from the 2016 and 2018 Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey (VARHS), constituted the dataset for this study. Among the 407 impoverished households in 2016, 244 achieved poverty alleviation by 2018. Their average monthly per capita income increased by 416.9 thousand Vietnamese Dong (17.8 USD) during this period, with wage income contributing significantly, rising by approximately 315.9 thousand Vietnamese Dong (13.4 USD) per person. Regression analysis reveals that as households escaped the multidimensional poverty line, they diversified food consumption and increased per capita food expenditure. However, the household dietary diversity score only increased by 0.166. Meanwhile, monthly per capita food expenditure surged by 85,600 Vietnamese Dong (3.63 USD) per person. Implementing poverty eradication policies could achieve both poverty reduction and improved food security. Policymakers should focus on creating stable wage employment for poor households, as this income source significantly aids in poverty alleviation.