The Dynamics of Urban Agriculture in Hanoi, Vietnam

Abstract

In many developing countries, urban agriculture makes a significant contribution to the livelihoods of urban populations, in providing food security and income generation. In Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, urban agriculture is a longstanding feature, but rapid urban growth is leading to greater competition over land use, such that this practice is being increasingly threatened by conversion to non-agricultural urban uses. The quality and safety of foodstuffs grown in urban areas is of growing concern to both consumers and producers in developing country cities such as Hanoi, where a large share of the city’s food supply is grown within the urban area. Government support has encouraged urban producers to modernize and invest in safer growing practices. However, in Hanoi, as indeed elsewhere, there is an urgent need to recognise the significance of urban agriculture in future planning strategies. Drawing upon recent field-based research in Hanoi, which examined local actors’ knowledge and perceptions of changes in urban agriculture within the city, the paper identifies key trends and underlying environmental and socio-economic factors, and considers the future sustainability of the practice.