Moving Towards Agroecosystem Sustainability: Safe Vegetable Production in Vietnam

摘要: Humanity is facing a series of challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, decreasing availability cheap fossil fuel energy and social inequality that, when taken together, constitute sustainability crisis. Agricultural systems are vitally important for the survival humanity must be moved towards greater sustainability. In Vietnam, challenges agriculture sector immediate pressing. These include need to improve livelihoods millions smallholder farmers, food safety protect already heavily burdened ecosystems. response these number alternative approaches, safe vegetable production organic farming have emerged. While use chemical fertilizers pesticides not permitted in certified agriculture, requirements nearly as stringent. Chemical some low toxicity allowed long pesticide residues below proscribed limits. This research assesses contributions that making development more sustainable agroecosystems Vietnam. Organic still early stages development, with majority projects directed export. Safe vegetables contrast produced primarily domestic market demand driven by consumer concerns over excessive conventional production. A assessment explores effect having on eight major criteria applied Cu Chi District, Ho Minh City. Research methods included semi-structured interviews group discussions farmers together other key actors from agricultural Along goal protecting human health, interested because improved economic returns made possible reduced inputs access. contributing agroecosystem sustainability, further improvements needed areas, specifically agrochemicals. There encouraging signs relation pesticides, reducing their moving less-toxic pesticides. Further movement could fostered shift only last resort, fertilizers, capacity experiment adapt techniques.