Promotion of rural development, social economy and civil society: new challenges of the Vietnamese countryside

If there is any country in the world where in fifty years have occurred so many important events, this country is undoubtedly Vietnam. From their struggle for national independence began just finished World War II, emerged in 1954, an independent North Vietnam, who, for breach of the Geneva Accords by France and especially the U.S., was impossible to organize the planned referendum that would have undoubtedly led to the reunification of the country and dragged the war in the South cruelly till 1975 (1), and the bombing for years by Americans of Northern towns and cities.

The legitimacy achieved by the Vietnamese Communist Party after years of war, that ended happily with the construction of a single sovereign country and securing peace, was consolidated later with the development of the country. This development was by no means an easy path. The first measures adopted after independence in the north, such as land reform welcomed by the landless and poor peasants who constituted the vast majority of the population, were followed by others as the collectivization of agriculture according to the Chinese and Soviet model , with the express desire to move forward in the building of socialism.

This process led to tension between the peasants and the Communist Party, led to decreases in production and the increase of the unrest among those who recognized hitherto the great role represented by the party in the reunification of the country, in the military victory and in the sincere desire of their leaders to lift hundreds of millions of Vietnamese from poverty.

In late 80s of the twentieth century, in the VI Party Congress were announced the policy of reforms called Doi Moi, in line with the new policies adopted by the USSR of Gorbachov and Deng Chao Ping's China. After intense internal discussions were adopted measures such as: recognition of the private sector, state enterprises and cooperatives should operate under the rules of the State ending with the injection of capital through subsidies, the peasant families were put in charge of both the production and marketing, ground was leased to farmers, distribution and trade were liberalized in the cities which led to a rapid reconstruction of supply chains, small shops that were established in rural areas became inputs providers through which Vietnam made his "green revolution" with an extraordinary growth of performance and productivity, etc. With all these measures, in the late 90s of the twentieth century, the annual  growth of the GDP reached an enviable rate of 9%.

These developments resulted in a rapid and dramatic increase in the standard of living of the population. Along with the economic progress, social changes were generated. To solve the obsolescence and decay of some services such as health and education, it was decided that access to them should be payed (2). What could be absorbed by the population thanks to the increasing of the family incomes. Religious freedom was recognized in facts: Catholic and Buddhist were able to renew their temples or carry out the their religious practices with no restriction.

Vietnam became in a few years an "emerging" country,  increasingly attracting international tourism with its rich heritage, folklore (3) and beautyfull landscapes. Along with supplying their domestic markets broadly, the country became the second largest coffee exporter and second largest exporter of rice.

But this spectacular economic growth has faced some serious problems. Many agricultural lands have been lost by the unstoppable phenomenon of urbanization; rural exodus has continued at a sustained flow, draining upland areas and increasing density (4) in rich and industrialized agricultural regions; the leadership in specific products at world has been built with deforestation and loss of tropical forests (flora, fauna as well); differences have deepened between the living standards of urban and rural regions; the environment has deteriorated (pollution of rivers and aquifers, biodiversity loss, pollution, land pollution from chemicals used in agriculture, etc.)... and social inequalities have increased.

As explained in a seminar session Professor Dao The Tuan "our industrialization is relying on a cheap labor, in land and the environment at lower prices to attract foreign investment. We need to develop a new strategy of industrialization based on new technologies, training of people and natural resources. "

Vietnam has faced, along his story, many challenges successfully managed. Let's hope it is going to be able to find their way to a harmonious and sustainable rural development.

Valencia, 6 October 2009.

(1) South Vietnam War produced three million Vietnamese dead. The Americans dead were 58,000. During this period ten million people in the south were evacuated from their home villages.
(2) Only the secondary and higher education were payed.
(3) In Vietnam 35 ethnic groups coexist.
(4) The population density in the Mekong Delta or Red River Delta is 1,300 inhabitants / km ²