Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Empowering rural women through chicken value chain development in Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province, Vietnam

¹Technische Universität Dresden, Inst. of International Forestry and Forest Products: Tropical Forestry, Germany
²Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Vietnam

Abstract

Tuyen Hoa is a mountainous district in Quang Binh province, where forest land (94,000 ha) accounts for over 70% of the total area, while agricultural land comprises just 4.5%. In this context, free-range chicken farming is a common livelihood among rural households, particularly in communes located near a special-use forest. Chickens are indigenous breeds raised naturally in home gardens and forest buffer zones, valued for their flavorful meat. Despite this potential, the chicken value chain remains underdeveloped: production is small-scale (around 120,000 chickens in 2023 at our project sites), market access is limited, and value addition through processing is minimal. Farmers often sell at low prices due to dependence on traders, lack of post-harvest processing, and absence of distribution channels.
This study applied a value chain analysis using both qualitative and quantitative methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 chicken-raising households, 6 local traders, and 15 consumers (restaurants and end-users), along with local agricultural officers at both district and commune levels. A focus group discussion involving value chain actors and local authorities explored barriers related to market access, breed availability, and disease prevention.
Initial project interventions¹ targeted rural women’s empowerment by providing training on herbal salt chicken processing, group-based production, financial management, business skills, and e-commerce. Equipment support included vacuum sealers, refrigerators, and label design for branded packaging. Early results show that women’s incomes increased by 38.5% after joining producer groups, their roles within families and communities improved, and chicken products reached wider markets, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The herbal salt chicken product has been recognised by the district as a key local product and is currently undergoing the OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification process. These outcomes demonstrate the potential of targeted value chain development in improving rural livelihoods and gender equity.

Keywords: Chicken value chain, OCOP, rural women empowerment

Contact Address: Van Hiep Tran, Technische Universität Dresden, Inst. of International Forestry and Forest Products: Tropical Forestry, Hochschulstr.20, 01069 Dresden, Germany, e-mail: tranvanhiephumg.edu.vn