How to Support Poor Vietnamese Consumers to Deal with Food Price Volatility and Food Safety Issues

Abstract

With 66 per cent of the population living in rural areas, over half depending on farm activities, food security and food safety are now two sides of the government effort to ensure food accessibility for the poor in Vietnam. While people living on low incomes may have to choose cheaper food over safer food, they are now more aware of food safety issues, and need more support to access safe food. After a long time of focusing on increasing food security in terms of quantities, new efforts are now needed to change the practice and awareness of stakeholders to move to quality?oriented production and consumption, including creating reasonable incentives for food producers, socialising of food safety monitoring and improving food safety inspection in Vietnam.