TY - THES ID - 134722910 TI - Identifying constraints smallholder safe vegetable farmers experience in gaining access to the modern market of Hanoi, Vietnam AU - Balcaen, Renée AU - Mathijs, Erik AU - KU Leuven. Faculteit Wetenschappen. Opleiding ICP Master of Science in Sustainable Development (Leuven) PY - 2020 PB - Leuven KU Leuven. Faculteit Wetenschappen DB - UniCat UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:134722910 AB - Vietnam is developing at a rapid pace which goes accompanied with many changes. One of those changes includes the 'supermarketization', meaning an increasing share of modern retail in the food distribution system of Vietnam. Authorities are actively encouraging the growth of modern retail and discouraging traditional retail. One of the main reasons for this policy is to decrease food safety incidents. This dissertation focusses on the (un)safety of vegetables in Hanoi which mostly refers to toxic pesticide residues on vegetables. Traditional food distribution systems often reside in informality, making it difficult to ensure qualitative and safe food. In contrast, modern retailers are obligated to only sell certified vegetables, produced and handled according to safety standards. This transition puts pressure on the supply side as the production of vegetables in Vietnam is dominated by smallholder farmers who experience constraints in gaining access to modern retail. This dissertation is made in collaboration with Rikolto Vietnam, an NGO that supports cooperatives and their smallholder vegetable farmers in obtaining safety certifications. This dissertation identifies which constraints hinder safe vegetables farmers in gaining access to modern retail of Hanoi. Data was collected by the means of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders along the vegetable supply chain. The results were analysed with the Agricultural Innovation System analysis. The transition of the vegetable sector stimulated by the authorities can be seen as an innovation policy. Typical to the instalment of a new system are failures or constraints within the system. The findings of this dissertation show the main failures clustered in three blocking mechanisms keeping the system from successfully innovating. The first blocking mechanism refers to a weak regulatory framework surrounding food safety. From interviews with both vegetable producers and professional buyers weak rule enforcement regarding food safety rules could be identified as a constraint. Limited control by the authorities, causes and reinforces trust-issues between vegetable producers, professional buyers and consumers regarding food safety claims. The second blocking mechanism entails the weak relationship between farmers and modern retail. The distrust in the relationship is partly caused by the weak control mechanism limiting credibility to food safety claims. In addition, actors of modern retail mostly pointed out farmers ongoing unsafe farming practices as reasons for distrust. From interviews with farmers there could be concluded that incentives (such as price premiums) to adopt safety regulations were often absent. Suspicion of unsafe farming practices result in supermarkets and convenience stores chains creating their own vegetable farms or preference to source from large-scale vegetable producing companies with more credibility. The third blocking mechanism refers to the low demand of vegetables in modern retail compared to popular traditional markets. Modern retailers mostly allocated their unpopularity for buying vegetables to the high price. Other identified constraints were lack of trust consumers have in food safety claims made by modern retail, low awareness on food (un)safety, habit and routine of visiting traditional retail outlets, higher variety of vegetables on traditional markets and freshness as a quality indicator instead of certifications. ER -