The Roles of Perennial Crop Systems to Rural Households: A Case Study in Dak Lak Province, Central Highlands, Vietnam

Abstract

This study investigated the role of perennial crop systems in enhancing sustainable livelihoods among rural households in Dak Lak province, Vietnam, with a particular focus on coffee and pepper crops. To gather data for this study, structured interviews were conducted with 86 households (90 farms) through a multi-stage sampling approach from January to May 2019. Moreover, the effectiveness of two agroforestry systems, monoculture and multitrophic agroforestry, was compared. The findings highlighted numerous significant conclusions. First, perennial crop systems contributed significantly to the improvement of rural households' livelihoods through improved monetary income, job creation, the participation of women, and expanded work prospects. Second, intercropping systems were the most economically viable sources of income and less susceptible to market price risk. This conclusions emphasize the importance of farmers and local governments understanding the roles of perennial crops to livelihoods.