Vietnam's economy has been fundamentally changed by the policy reforms implemented in the 1980s to provide an environment that is more conducive for economic growth and social stabilization. The policy reforms have had a tremendous impact on economic activities and on all aspects of social life. The economy is presently moving from a centrally planned system largely based on public ownership to a market-oriented and mixed economy. Social structures and values have changed, and legal, institutional, and administrative systems are gradually changing as well. The reform process gives rise to exciting challenges and opportunities for development. Based largely on Vietnamese sources of data and information, this book presents an analysis of the main features of economic policy reforms in Vietnam, their socioeconomic impact, and several major theoretical and practical problems Vietnam faces on its path to development.

During the extensive restructuring process of doi moi, Vietnam changed from a food-importing to a rice-exporting country. The success of this initiative also resulted in more fundamental changes in institutions and macro-level policies concerning agriculture. This monograph analyses the nature and impact of reforms on economic growth, changes in production structure and the shifting role of the state in agricultural activities. It then assesses the challenges that continue to confront rural Vietnam.

This book is a case study of Vietnam's efforts to fight poverty using market-oriented land reforms. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country undertook major institutional reforms, and an impressive reduction in poverty followed. But what role did the reforms play? Did the efficiency gains from reform come at a cost to equity? Were there both winners and losers? Was rising rural landlessness in the wake of reforms a sign of success or failure? 'Land in Transition' investigates the impacts on living standards of the two stages of land law reform: in 1988, when land was allocated to households administratively and output markets were liberalized; and in 1993, when official land titles were introduced and land transactions were permitted for the first time since communist rule began. To fully assess the poverty impacts of these changes, the authors' analysis of household surveys is guided by both economic theory and knowledge of the historical and social contexts. The book delineates lessons from Vietnam's experience and their implications for current policy debates in China and elsewhere.

The unilateral and regional ASEAN and now APEC) trade and investment liberalizations pursued by Vietnam during recent years have begun transforming the economy. The next logical step is to join the World Trade Organization, an application for which was submitted in 1995. The WTO legal bindings will give traders and investors increased confidence in the reform programme. This book outlines what the WTO accession process involves, what policies Vietnam will have to change, and what the economic effects will be, particularly on rural development.

Dragons with Clay Feet? presents state-of-the-art research on the impact of ongoing and anticipated economic policy and institutional reforms on agricultural development and sustainable rural resource in two East-Asian transition (and developing) economies--China and Vietnam. The contributions to this volume focus on the regional and sectoral impact of transformational policies, farm household decision making under a changing economic and institutional environment, and potential trade-offs between agricultural growth and sustainable land management in the two countries. The analysis of household responses to economic policies and changing institution, and their implications for agricultural production and sustainable resource use in East-Asian transition economies, is a relatively new research field. This collection by a group of Chinese, Vietnamese, and international researchers reflect the rapid progress that is being made in this important research field.