In the past decade there has been a lot of publicity about the large number of food-poisoning cases and attitudes towards Vietnam’s food supply have shifted. The emerging middle classes in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other urban centres have become concerned about the food they eat and are starting to demand vegetables with fewer pesticide residues. Some are even willing to pay a slightly higher price for these products, up to 10 percent more than vegetables that are not certified as safe. Concerned urban consumers are increasingly demanding “safe” vegetables. Farmers are responding to this new market opportunity and are beginning to deliver higher quality vegetable products to the market. By adopting integrated pest management principles, applying compost, using crop rotations and creating a favourable growing environment in low-cost shadehouses, farmers are able to reduce their chemical fertilizer and pesticide applications and produce vegetables that are safer for consumers, and better for their own health and that of their farms.
