This book analyses the risky behavior of farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, in their shift from rice to shrimp farming, as well as the role of social capital in these farmers’ economic activities. Emphasizing the rationality of the market does not fully explain the nature of farmers’ economic behavior. Therefore, this book explores farmers’ risk mitigation and dispersion, so as to provide a systematic outlook on the issue. It finds that “food security” and “subsistence margin” influence farmers’ behavior to some extent. In the context of current social relations, farmers do not completely avoid risks, but they have different risk-taking strategies. As the book shows, social reciprocity in terms of capital, labor, and land allows poor farmers to participate in shrimp farming in a risky manner.
Man-made climate change poses a new crisis: how do we feed 10 billion people in a climate hostile to food security? This book explores the threat to our “daily bread” and argues that we are not without hope, offering solutions that can lead to a better future for humankind.