UK Consumers’ Preferences for Ethical Attributes of Floating Rice: Implications for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture in Vietnam

Vietnam plays an important role in bearing global food security. However, Vietnamese rice farmers face several challenges, including pressures to develop sustainable livelihoods while reducing the environmental impacts of their production activities. Various Vietnamese agricultural restructuring policies were promulgated to promote the adoption of environmentally friendly practices to generate high value added for rice farmers, but the farmers are reluctant to adopt them because of perceived lack of demand. Decreasing consumption of rice in Asia and increasing demands in Europe shaped Vietnamese rice exporting policies. New trade agreements, such as the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, offer new target markets for Vietnamese rice farmers. This research provides empirical evidence related to the preferences of UK consumers for ethical attributes for floating rice imported from Vietnam. Floating rice represents a traditional method of rice cultivation that relies on the natural flooding cycle. Its cultivation uses very few agrochemical inputs and provides several other environmental, economic, and social benefits. In an online survey, the study used a choice experiment that asked 306 UK consumers to report their preferences for one kilo of floating rice with three non-market attributes: reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, allocation of profits to the farmers, and restitution of biodiversity. Overall, study participants favored the attributes of floating rice, but reported utility for only the “fair trade” attribute and for a marginal willingness to pay premiums for profit allocations to farmers. Consumers did not find value in either CO2 emission reduction or biodiversity improvement. Results from the study provide recommendations to develop agricultural programs, distribution strategies, and informational methods to encourage floating rice consumption in the UK.

Analisis Kelayakan Usahatani Padi Sawah Apung pada Lahan Sawah Rawan Banjir di Kabupaten Banyumas

The technique of floating rice cultivation is an alternative to utilize flood-prone wetland in Banyumas Regency. This study aims to describe the use of flood-prone rice fields and assess their potential, and analyze the feasibility of floating rice farming in Banyumas Regency. This research uses descriptive analysis, cost and income analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and sensitivity analysis. The results showed that the respondent farmers in Banyumas Regency tried flood-prone rice fields with an average area of 0.323 hectares. The land is planted with rice in one year 3-5 times, but farmers only succeed in getting a crop as much as once a year. The results of the investment feasibility analysis are the R/C ratio of 0.5604, Net B/C ratio of 0.0903, the revenue BEP of Rp1,610,587.98, the price BEP of Rp7,709.07, the production BEP of 671.09 kilograms, NPV of -Rp16,331,041, and a payback period of 110 planting season periods. The results of the analysis show that floating rice farming is not feasible. Sensitivity analysis shows that floating rice farming is feasible to be carried out if there is a decrease in production costs and a combination of a decrease in production costs with an increase in productivity. The application of floating paddy rice cultivation provides significant benefits and has the potential to utilize labor from farming families.

Readiness of farmer groups to adopt the floating rice cultivation in Bojonegoro Regency, East Java Province

This study aimed at investigating the preparedness of the local farmers as the agents of change for floating rice cultivation in a flood-prone area. This study was carried out in Balungdowo Hamlet, Karangdayu Village, Baureno Sub-district, Bojonegoro Regency. The site was selected due to its flooded condition so that it met the criteria for the research location of floating rice cultivation. Samples for this research were taken using purposive sampling technique. The samples were two farmer groups cultivating floating rice. The data selecting instruments included observation, documentation, and interview. This research applied a qualitative method with descriptive approach. The results have shown that Farmers are not ready to implement floating rice technology, although floating rice cultivation is almost the same as other rice cultivation. Because the operational costs of floating rice cultivation are high, so it takes a lot of effort to ensure that floating rice cultivation can be done by minimizing costs by utilizing local natural resources. Moreover, most members of farmer groups are not at a productive age, with low education level (elementary school-graduated) and monthly income of fewer than IDR 1,000,000.00.