Search

This is a report of the role of Distance education (DE) in enhancing education and training in developing countries. As countries compete in an ever more challenging international marketplace, they recognize the need to continually train and upgrade their citizenry. As national leaders struggle to cope with increasing populations and decreasing budgets, DE can be an additional and often essential tool in accomplishing this goal. This paper is a case study of the efforts of one college in Vietnam, Fisheries College Number 4, to develop a plan to introduce a small distance education offering to its regular courses. Its purpose was to better serve farmers in remote regions. The paper begins with a brief description of the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in education and development, particularly in South East Asia. It then provides an overview of Vietnam and its current activities in DE. The next section offers a detailed examination of the challenges the College faced in developing a plan for DE on the Internet. The paper concludes with Materi's personal observations and commentary on lessons learned. (Contains 1 table.)

The paper examines the impact of farmers' educational attainment on agricultural productivity. More specifically, it evaluates how farmers with vocational training perform compared to those with traditional educational training. A stochastic production frontier and inefficiency effects model is estimated using nationally representative household survey data to analyze the relationship between farmers' educational attainment and agricultural productivity in Vietnam, while controlling for factors such as gender and farmers' health status. The results indicate higher returns to vocational training in terms of its impact on raising agricultural productivity, as compared to primary and secondary education. Our findings confirm that significant productivity and welfare gains can be achieved through the promotion of education schemes tailored to the specific technical needs of smallholder or poor farmers. The lack of impact from primary and secondary education signals the need to adjust the curricula of nontraditional educational programmes in rural areas to respond to the technical and other skill needs of farmers. In other words, one general curriculum for everyone may not reap the highest returns to primary and secondary education investment in the context of countries with large farming populations. The originality of the paper resides also in the use of disaggregated education data in terms of formal and non-formal education. In addition, unlike previous studies, the production frontier function and the inefficiency segment are jointly estimated using a one step maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) procedure which guarantees both consistency and efficiency for estimated parameters. (Contains 3 figures, 6 tables, and 1 note.)

This study aims to analyze the potential and constraints of group-based extension approaches as an institutional innovation in the Vietnamese agricultural extension system. Our analysis therefore unfolds around the challenges of how to foster this kind of approach within the hierarchical extension policy setting and how to effectively shape and enable learning groups. The analysis draws on qualitative data from case studies of five newly established extension groups in Son La province, collected between 2007 and 2008. Content analysis was applied as the main analytical tool. The basic principles of group-based learning approaches are still underdeveloped, mainly due to a non-supportive institutional environment and a command-and-follow mentality. Extension groups suffer from an insufficient distinction between social processes and technical procedures. Finding an appropriate balance between enhancing leadership and supporting collective responsibility is identified as key to sustain groups. The research identified room for adjustments in group-organizational issues since the external institutional environment is hard to change. The particular value of this paper lies in addressing how to organize group-extension approaches in the context of reformed extension systems in a transitional socialist setting. (Contains 1 table.)

The majority of the population of Vietnam lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Consistent growth of the agriculture sector over the past two decades has contributed to a remarkable reduction in the poverty rate and the virtual elimination of hunger in the rural areas of Vietnam. In order to continue the growth rates of the past and contribute to further poverty reduction into the future, Agriculture Science and Technology will need to play a greater part in the development of the agriculture sector. This paper outlines the importance of Agriculture Science and Technology in rural development, discusses the performance of the agriculture research and extension systems and outlines recent developments designed to improve the performance of Agriculture Science and Technology and increase the level of linkages between farmers, policymakers, researchers and the extension system. (Contains 4 tables and 13 notes.)

In 1992, even before a formalized agricultural extension system existed, the Farmer Field School was introduced in Vietnam as a farmer education methodology aiming at enhancing farmers' agroecological knowledge, critical skills and collective action to support sustainable agricultural development. Over the years, the model saw a wide range of applications and adaptations to serve different development needs, while preserving the underlying principles to capacitate, empower and organize farmers. The training experience has proven to be effective and is appreciated by farmers who benefit from learning to gather information, make informed decisions and manage their farms independently in a liberalizing and rapidly changing development climate. Despite convincing impact at the farmer level, the model has not been widely mainstreamed into the agricultural extension system, due to several reasons explored in this paper. Lessons learned should be more thoroughly evaluated and documented to influence future policy-making. (Contains 2 tables and 4 notes.)

In 1992, even before a formalized agricultural extension system existed, the Farmer Field School was introduced in Vietnam as a farmer education methodology aiming at enhancing farmers' agroecological knowledge, critical skills and collective action to support sustainable agricultural development. Over the years, the model saw a wide range of applications and adaptations to serve different development needs, while preserving the underlying principles to capacitate, empower and organize farmers. The training experience has proven to be effective and is appreciated by farmers who benefit from learning to gather information, make informed decisions and manage their farms independently in a liberalizing and rapidly changing development climate. Despite convincing impact at the farmer level, the model has not been widely mainstreamed into the agricultural extension system, due to several reasons explored in this paper. Lessons learned should be more thoroughly evaluated and documented to influence future policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrimp aquaculture is among the most vital sectors in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam regarding economic well-being, social aspects, and food security beyond the country boundary. Nevertheless, this sector has faced emerging challenges from increased climate variability during recent decades, negatively influencing its outcomes. This paper utilized farm-level data surveyed in 2019 to investigate the mechanisms behind households' decisions to adopt three primary climate change adaptation practices: upgrading pond dikes, lining ponds with plastic sheets, and having settling ponds. This study demonstrates the effects of adopting these strategies on shrimp farming performance. An endogenous switching regression model was employed to deal with potential selection bias and heterogeneity in the decision to adopt or not. We find that the adoption of upgrading pond dikes and having a settling pond result in higher productivity in shrimp farming, and both adopters and non-adopters of these strategies would benefit from the adaptation. As well, education of the farm operators and farmers' belief on changes in climatic conditions and their impacts on shrimp farming are the main drivers behind the adoption behavior. This study, therefore, provides empirical evidence for policymakers to promote specific climate change adaptation strategies that would improve the welfare of shrimp farmers. • Shrimp farmers' decision-making in climate change adaptation in the Mekong delta. • Education and climate belief are crucial factors of the adoption process. • Sizable effects on output stem from different primary adaptation practices. • Adaptation practices would benefit both adopters and non-adopters. • Adoption of the adaptation strategies positively links to shrimp productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study analyses climate change vulnerability and adaptation in a northern province in Vietnam from the gender perspective. Design/methodology/approach: A survey questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) was calculated for 134 female and 239 male-headed households. Descriptive statistics were synthesized to investigate climate change adaptation from the gender perspective. Findings: The results show that the LVI of female-headed households is higher than male-headed households, but the variation is negligible. In addition, female and male farmers in the study area use different methods to adapt to climate change. Female farmers have critically contributed to the family workforce and climate change adaptation. Nevertheless, female farmers have less accessibility to agricultural services such as training and credit. Research limitations/implications: The study suggests that gendered interventions for improvement of livelihood to adapt to climate change should be developed for each aspect of the livelihood. Furthermore, enhancement of services for women and recognition of women's roles in responding to climate change would contribute to more active adaptation to climate change. Originality/value: Studies on climate change from the gender perspective in Vietnam have been conducted on a limited scale. Particularly, there are very limited studies on climate change in association with gender issue in North Vietnam. Thus, this study will provide more insights into the gender dimension of climate change vulnerability and adaptation so that gender-based adaptation strategies can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study that examines the complexity of swidden cultivation system in Vietnam through the application of scientific methodology system thinking approach. Topics discussed include the description of Swidden cultivators, the adaptation of the Vietnamese government policy 'fixed cultivation, fixed residence' which aims to stop swidden cultivation, and the results of studies concerning swidden cultivation.

The study was designed to assess changes in farmers' knowledge of farmer seed production through schools (FSPSs) in Vietnam. A set of 25 questions covering five technical areas of the seed production process was used for pre and post knowledge testing at 12 FSPSs in the provinces Binh Dinh, Nam Dinh, Nghe An and Dong Thap. The main findings show an overall increase in farmer's knowledge scores after attending the FSPS. FSPS-farmers with low scores on the pre-field school test (ex-ante) scored much better on the post field school test. Gender had no effect on the test scores. Binh Dinh province had significantly higher mean scores on the post field (ex-post) school test compared to farmers in Nam Dinh, Nghe An and Dong Thap provinces. The increase in knowledge score is linked to the application of good practices learned in the field school as farmers who applied good quality seeds, low seed rates and the transplanting method showed a large increase in scores. The results of this study indicate that the tests provide insight into the knowledge gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Vietnam, agricultural extension has contributed to rural development and poverty alleviation over the past two decades of agricultural decollectivization, but it was not very effective in reducing disparities within farmer communities. The study examined how better interactions of extension services with other agencies and information sources may help marginal farmers in catching up with the general improvement of living conditions in a mountainous area in northern Vietnam. It combined three complementary viewpoints on this issue: that of the agricultural extension staff, that of farmers and that of development experts with a long working experience in the mountains of Vietnam. The analysis of existing structures and functions of the extension system revealed a number of obstacles to the participation of marginal farmers in extension programmes and helped to identify relevant domains of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]