Research & Development Activities

Food consumption patterns in Southeast Asian countries are evolving rapidly. In Vietnam, urbanisation and increased incomes have doubled the value of the food market in the last ten years. That market is diversifying, with meat, fruit and vegetables and quality products such as aromatic rice and lean pork coming to the fore. Local farmers have managed to meet the quantity demand by diversification and intensification strategies. Although malnutrition is still a nagging problem, it is declining, but new concerns relating to the food safety are emerging.

Meeting the food demand with regard to both quantity and quality is a challenge facing small-scale producers and local traders. This challenge has become even greater with increased competition from imports in the wake of regional agreements and Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2007. For Vietnam, it is also an opportunity to reduce poverty, provide safe, low-cost food for the destitute and put the brakes on growing inequalities.

That is why MALICA consortium has taken part in many research and development activities since 2002 in order to improve the whole agriculture value chain (particularly the correlation between local food production and market demand in both quantity and quality).