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Rural poverty approaches, policies and strategies in Viet Nam

Reducing poverty has been a central goal of the Government of Viet Nam since the country was unified in 1976, and it is one of the major objectives of the economic reforms launched in 1986.

In the 1980s, as the country shifted from a centrally planned economy to a market-based one, decision-making became decentralized and individuals began to play greater roles in investment decisions. These changes helped pave the way for community-driven rural development projects. The Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, a ten-year action plan, was adopted in May 2002. It includes a comprehensive analysis of poverty, a growth-based strategy for poverty reduction and preliminary identification of priority programmes. The government is currently implementing its Social Economic Development Plan for 2006-2010.

Agricultural and rural development is a crucial part of the government’s strategy, which aims to:

• increase resources to improve research and training
• give special attention to the needs of poor farmers and ethnic minorities in mountainous areas
• support rural poor people’s access to financial services
• improve security of land tenure
• promote sustainable management of natural resources

Source: IFAD

IFAD country strategic opportunities paper (2008) 

Comprehensive poverty reduction and growth strategy