Food security and rapid urbanization : A case study of urban agriculture in Hanoi

As demand for food and farmland is increasing in Hanoi, the transition from an agricultural-based economy to an industrial one puts the livelihoods of urban farmers at risk. The urbanization displaces people and alter livelihoods of many urban poor in the peri-urban areas of Hanoi. This study uses the Sustainable Livelihood Approach in discussing the variety of chocks stakeholders associated with production, trading and consuming of vegetables, are exposed to. The findings provide a holistic perspective to the opportunities and constraints which urban agriculture is facing in modern day Hanoi. An outlining of urban agricultural production patterns according to the Von Thünen Model recognizing a slight alteration in which urban expansion hinders the production. Urban dwellers in peri-urban areas between a 5-15-kilometer radius from the city center are most vulnerable for land seizures and compensation rates are incused by corruption. Although there is potential for urban agriculture as demand for vegetables are high, the modernization of the country will continue to limit cultivation in the urban districts of Hanoi. Additionally, supermarkets with certified safe produced vegetables are currently in conflict with culturally embedded shopping practices. As public officials turn to the supermarketization to provide food safety, the rural-urban migration has shaped vegetable shopping differently