Comparison Environmental Conditions and Economic Efficiency Between Organic and Non-Organic Integrated Mangrove – Shrimp Farming Systems in Ca Mau Province, Vietnam

Abstract

Mangrove forest protection is an essential solution for mitigating the impacts of natural disasters in coastal zones and climate change. Integrated mangrove-shrimp farming (IMSF) system has been promoted as a sustainable livelihood that can provide income for farmers and protect mangrove forests. However, the productivity of shrimp is limited. Therefore, to enhance the revenue for farmers, improving the value of shrimp products is a good option. Organic shrimp farming practices following the EU aquaculture organic standards have been previously applied in some areas of the Mekong delta. This study was conducted to compare technical, financial characteristics and environmental parameters between the applied (i.e., organic farms) and non-applied (i.e., non-organic farms) standards of Naturland, aiming to support the development of ecological shrimp farming and contribute towards green development. The study was carried out in Nhung Mien mangrove forest, Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau province, Vietnam. Fifty organic farms and 50 non-organic farms were directly interviewed using structured questionnaires. And then, three farms in each system were selected for monitoring water quality. Results showed that the average mangrove coverage was 54.1% in the organic IMSF system and significantly different from the non-organic IMSF system (p<0.05). Total shrimp yield, total income and total profits tended to increase in organic IMSF system and the selling shrimp price increased by 10% compared to the conventional price. The study showed that following organic farming methods could provide higher income for farmers and a better chance to mitigate natural disasters and climate change impacts.