Vietnam, Asia CAPACITY BUILDING FOR FOOD SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION IN CA MAU PROVINCE OF THE MEKONG DELTA

The TMT aims to include mangrove restoration in shrimp farming to turn the aquaculture activity in a nature positive, integrated production system. As it happens, mangroves are considered places storing huge quantities of CO2: after deforestation, CO2 is released, but this can be
restored by mangrove rehabilitation. Mangrove areas are also important in avoiding land subsidence and as flood protection for local communities in coastal areas. Furthermore, mangrove forests are essential in improving water quality and biodiversity in the soil, in the water and on-land. These interactions and the synergies are hardly valued by the Vietnamese government and even less by the farmers due to lack of information and training. This TMT will train the people to valorise not only the business aspect of integrated shrimp farming, but also the ecological and social aspects.

The project aims to:

• Learn how to analyse and compare the cost-benefits of different types of (shrimp) production systems including financial, ecological and social aspects
• Identify and monitor present challenges of shrimp farming with the restoration of mangroves and mapping of priority areas
• Develop materials to enhance local awareness of ecological-economic-social characteristics of shrimp production in combination with ecological restoration
• Learn how to involve all stakeholders and increase awareness, acceptance and support for sustainable shrimp farming in combination with mangrove ecosystem restoration
• Create efficiency in improving both food production and water resource management, and how to prepare for long-term resilient healthy natural ecosystems.

This translates into three training packages:

1. 1. Sustainability and explain the concept of externalized costs.

   Participants will work with examples from their own environment to experience what it means to move from linear to circular thinking. It is important that all participants have common understanding of systems change, the interactions and potential synergies. A long-term vision is discussed. During this session, different cultivation systems will be discussed. We review monoculture and alternative polyculture practices that potentially could work in the Mekong Delta such as shrimp culture with or without mangrove restoration (inside and outside the pond area) and shrimp culture in recirculated aquaculture systems (RAS). Besides, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), aquaponics, integrated agriculture/aquaculture and agro- & aqua-ecological systems, permaculture principles and syntropic aquaculture are discuss. We will consider interactions of species, nutrient cycles and synergies. We will use examples of species compatibility (species that can live in the same environment without detrimental interactions) and complementarity (complementary use of available resources or mutualism) to create synergies and increase health and productivity in the Mekong Delta.

   2. Holistic cost-benefit analysis.

   The different (production) systems discussed during the first session will be further elaborated. The success and challenges of nature-inclusive production systems will be discussed further.

   In addition to financial aspects, ecological and social costs and benefits will be analyzed and evaluated. We will work out 2 case studies that apply for shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta. For this, we will make use of different international standards as guideline. Ultimately, a new (simplified) model is created for a different system, specific for the selected area in the Mekong Delta.

   3. Fine-tune the revenue models, stakeholder meeting

   Stakeholders are invited to discuss the model and have it assessed. Their input is used to evaluate the revenue model. These results can be used to develop dissemination materials for awareness raising of the wider public, including farmers, exporters, citizens, consumers, research, education, NGOs, national and local governments, Dutch agro-businesses active in Vietnam and industry. The material will be in Vietnamese for local governments and other interested parties and in English to share on social media. During this last session, we will also investigate which possible funding opportunities exist to set up a project with extensive shrimp (and other seafood) production in combination with ecosystem restoration. If possible, we will use tools such as remote sensing to select a proper test. There will be many stakeholders involved and those are always time-consuming processes.