Week 10 - Charles Miin

It can be objectively said that there is a lot left to be desired when it comes to Vietnam's national economy, even with it's robust agricultural production and broad open farms. Vietnam is trying to modernize and move forward to change it's national aesthetic from a primarily agrarian society to a technological one, but knows it cannot forget about one of it's largest exports. Coffee sits as the second largest export after rice and as such, any improvements to the methodology of coffee farming would vastly improve Vietnam's economy. However, before even advancing the methodology, much can be done to improve existing conditions. Many small landholders for example are uneducated about irrigation practice and over water their crops in the hopes of higher yields. Improving a small aspect like this will contribute to benefits in improving labor efficiency, water usage, and overall energy and equipment expenditure. As deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership are struck, not losing focus of the lifeblood of a society, like coffee is here, can have massively uplifting effects on society. An added benefit aside from the economic angle is support for green standards or environmental regulation which is increasingly becoming the forefront for all industries and countries in all practices. Countries like China are often scrutinized for unhinged industrial practice and entire national opinion can be catastrophically shaped by how mainstream media reports on environmental standard. Vietnam can improve is national aesthetic simply by targeting this as it improves it's coffee industry and cause improvement on all levels for itself. However, will it be able to in the face of deregulation and subservience to corporate interests with deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership?

Amarasinghe, Upali A., et al. "Toward sustainable coffee production in Vietnam: More coffee with less water." Agricultural Systems 136 (2015): 96-100.