Institutional Change for Sustainable Agriculture Transition: The Case of Scaling Circular Rice Value Chain in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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Abstract
Sustainable agriculture transition is increasingly recognized as a strategic pathway to mitigate environmental degradation and climate change in the agricultural sector. Drawing on Multi-Level Perspective and New Institutional Economics, enriched by secondary data and multi-stakeholder focus group discussions, this paper analyzes institutional drivers and barriers shaping the adoption and scaling of circular rice value chains in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Findings reveal that despite landscape-level pressures, a robust institutional lock-in, driven by fragmented legal and policy framework and obsolete informal structures, perpetuates the linear rice regime. To dismantle this lock-in, a synchronized approach is essential: strengthening formal regulations, shifting informal perceptions and social norms, and empowering intermediary institutions to facilitate sustainable agriculture transition in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Funding Information
  • Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam (B2024.KHA-11)