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Abstract
Over the last decade, following the doi moi reforms, the Vietnamese government has
formally recognised the household as the basic unit of production and allocated land use
rights to households. Under the 1993 Land Law these rights can be transferred,
exchanged, leased, inherited, and mortgaged. A ‘land market’ is emerging in Vietnam
but is still constrained for various reasons. Additionally, lack of flexibility of land use is
an issue. As Vietnam moves into the world market and reduces trade barriers in line with
ASEAN requirements, farmers are becoming increasingly vulnerable to falling incomes
because of lower prices for their produce. This paper gives an overview of land reform
policies, issues related to these, and discusses challenges facing Vietnamese agriculture
as it strives to move its household farms from subsistence to a more commercial base.