Introduction Small agricultural commodity producers Small agricultural commodity producers who produce for processing and export (e.g. rice, maize, cassava, fish, shrimp, tea, coffee, etc.) face extreme difficulties due to market fluctuation, and unfair trade policies including those related to WTO accession and unfavourable weather conditions - overall these have affected their income and food security negatively. Small commodity farmers are vulnerable to these impacts because they often depend on a single source of income and rely heavily on credit to invest in agricultural inputs (often through borrowing inputs from private traders and paying them back after harvest). This means that poor harvests, low prices, and a lack of access to other capital options can leave poor farmers in a position where they are unable repay their debts, locking them into a cycle of debt and making it difficult for them to transition to alternative livelihood options.
Urban migrants Rural-urban migration is on the rise, the key contributing factor in Vietnam is economic growth has been largely concentrated in urban areas, forcing many households to use a multi location livelihood strategy to find employment, resulting in permanent or temporary migration to the urban centre. While migration promotes the rural-urban linkages and thus plays a positive role in national economic development, urban migrants are vulnerable to difficulties and risk becoming part of a “new urban poor� class.
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Strategic Plan for 2013-2017