Bio-economic assessment of climate-smart tea production in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam
Author(s)
The Tuong, Tran
Date Issued
July 13, 2017
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
Agricultural production in the face of climate change (CC) requires a climate-smart transformation
and reorientation at multiple scales. Viet Nam is one of the developing countries that is agriculturebased
and severely affected by CC, therefore it is crucial that the agricultural system advances
towards the transition. While climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has gained a significant attention at
global fora, context-specific evidence is still scarce in Viet Nam. This study examines CSA
potentials in tea production systems in the Northern Mountainous Region (NMR) of Viet Nam. Tea
cultivation has a crucial role in CSA strategy because it provides an important source to local
household (HH) income, while demonstrating a strong potential for CC adaptation and mitigation.
Since CSA concept is multi-dimensional, including food security, adaptation and mitigation, an
interdisciplinary analytical framework is employed in this research to assess the economic and
biophysical dimensions. Enterprise budgets and representative farms are developed for tea and
alternative crops (coffee, maize, rice) as well as livestock (cattle, buffalo and pigs) production to
analyze the productivity dimension of food security. In evaluating the adaptation potential of tea
production, local farmers’ perceptions and experiences of extreme weather events are combined
with ERA-Interim data (1989-2013) and HH survey data on income levels. Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions and carbon sequestration potentials are estimated through partial Carbon Footprint Life
Cycle Assessment.
Results show that tea production systems, both under conventional and mini-terracing practices,
generate net margins, returns to capital and family labor higher than the alternatives. Farmers
therefore have high incentive to switch from other crops to tea production. In face of CC, tea has
shown a strong biophysical adaptive capacity compared to other crops in NMR. Tea-producing
HHs have higher levels of income and total value of crop production than non-tea producing HHs
but mostly under low variability of climate conditions. Tea HHs have demonstrated high potential
in buffering climate extremes. Fertilizer application is the single largest GHG emitter at farm level.
Tea production systems have a high capability for carbon storage and offsets.
Evidence of strong synergies between food security, mitigation and adaptation is demonstrated for
tea production systems in NMR, and potential tradeoffs highlighted where relevant. Policy
recommendations are drawn based on combined evidence to support CSA in the region.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Economia e territorio
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