Seminar: Market shaping in the transitioning Vietnamese shrimp chain: a perspective from independent farmers
National Economics University
E-PhD Program Seminar Series
Market shaping in the transitioning Vietnamese shrimp chain: a perspective from independent farmers
by
Ta Minh Quang
Faculty of Business Management
National Economics University
Time and Venue
Time: 10.30AM – 11.30AM
Date: Friday, 22 March 2024
Venue: Room 15.01, Level 15, Building A1, National Economics University
207 Giai Phong Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
Abstract
This thesis is a doctoral research project conducted by Ta Minh Quang under supervision of two professors of the Wageningen University, the Netherlands from June 2015 to May 2024. This is a story about the Vietnamese shrimp farming sector that is under transition from a production system characterized by smallholder farmers with limited access to production inputs and heavy reliance on informal exchanges for farm outputs to a high- and middle-income market driven export production system. Scientifically, the author has identified the research problem and formulated an overarching aim of the thesis through the lens of market shaping theory, then nicely combined with other theories, namely marketing channels, export market integration, relationship marketing, and practices to concretize the research aim into four research questions corresponding to four studies. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used. Data is collected from 16 in-depth interviews with five farmers, four processors, three collectors, two researchers, two authorities, 200 independent farmers, and five extension workers. Study 1 is an exploratory study that aims to understand whether and how independent farmers are aware of the changing business environment surrounding them, what they think they are going to do in such a rapidly changing environment. At the end of study 1, the thesis learns about the current situation of independent farmers in the transitional context of Vietnamese shrimp farming. In line with the changing environment, study 2 continues with a research idea looking ahead to farmers’ integration with export markets. While study 2 looks forward to understanding the expectation of independent farmers about the future, study 3 wants to discover what might hold independent farmers back in the process of market integration. Finally, study 4 wraps things up by putting findings found in previous studies in imaginary situations with conjoint method. This thesis shows that the weakened relationship of farmers with collectors accelerates the transition of Vietnamese shrimp chain and the increased understanding about market preferences of farmers eases the agricultural transitions in emerging markets. Two implications are (1) inter-disciplinary research benefits sustainable development more than intensive research with a focus on a single discipline, and (2) the overlooked role of social science hinders the sustainable growth of economies in emerging markets.
About presenter
https://fbm.neu.edu.vn/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Ta-Minh-Quang-1.pdf
About series
This seminar series is part of the E-PhD Program at National Economics University. It targets PhD students, early-career researchers, and senior faculty who find interested in doing research in the areas of economics, business, management, and other inter-disciplinary fields of social science. The series is a platform for the wider research community to exchange ideas, networks and collaborations.
Contact details
Bach Ngoc Thang
Seminar series coordinator
Room 15.04, Building A1
Institute for Sustainable Development
National Economics University
207 Giai Phong Road, Hanoi, Vietnam
M: +84 35 443 1750
E: bnthang@gmail.com, or thangbn@neu.edu.vn
