ERIC Number: EJ989641
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Oct
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0743-0167
EISSN: N/A
Organic Coasts? Regulatory Challenges of Certifying Integrated Shrimp-Mangrove Production Systems in Vietnam
Ha, Tran Thi Thu; Bush, Simon R.; Mol, Arthur P. J.; van Dijk, Han
Journal of Rural Studies, v28 n4 p631-639 Oct 2012
The Vietnamese government aims to expand the scale of Naturland certified organic production in integrated shrimp-mangrove farming systems across the coast of Ca Mau province by 2015. In doing so the division between public and private regulation has become blurred. We analyze the government's goal by examining the regulatory challenges of using organic certification as a means of linking farm-level management to the sustainability of coastal (mangrove) landscapes. The results show the importance of farmer perceptions of sustainable farm and landscape management, fair benefit sharing mechanisms in the certified value chain, and legitimate private sector-led auditing. We conclude that in order to overcome conflicts of interest and legitimate representation in organic certification, the social and economic conditions of production require regulatory intervention from provincial and local level government. To achieve benefits beyond the scale of the farm, the role of shrimp producers should be redefined as partners in rather than targets of regulation. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Agricultural Production, Certification, Sustainability, State Regulation, Farm Management, Agricultural Occupations, Attitudes, Conflict of Interest, Audits (Verification), Economic Climate, Social Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Vietnam
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A