Fieldwork in two peri-urban communes outside Hanoi shows households repurposing protected rice land for housing and livelihoods despite state rules, while commune officials often tolerate the practice informally. Agricultural-preservation goals can conflict with household aspirations and local development. The authors call this the “everyday politics of accumulation,” but do not claim that the two sites represent all of Vietnam.
Key findings
- Rice-land preservation can be misaligned with rural development and livelihood strategies. In a middle-income Vietnam, everyday politics is presented not only as survival but also as the pursuit of prosperity within a one-party state.
Why this matters globally
The findings matter for rapidly urbanising Asian regions balancing food security, housing and livelihoods. Policy design should account for household incentives and local administrative realities rather than relying on prohibition alone.
Thai researcher contribution
Jonathan Rigg is affiliated with Chulalongkorn University's Department of Geography and serves as a corresponding author in the international team. The evidence comes from Vietnam and should not be treated as direct evidence about Thai land law.
Limitations to consider
The study covers two communes and the abstract provides limited methodological detail. Tolerance may vary by official, period and land market, while qualitative evidence cannot estimate national prevalence or effect size.
Verify the original sources
Singapore Journal of Tropical GeographyRead the original article↗DOI: 10.1111/sjtg.70080