These rice noodles are produced in a factory in My Tho, Vietnam (Tufoco, 2023).

The supply chain typically goes from rice producers to rice milling/polishing and exporting factories, then the product is exported to Canada (The Anh et al., 2020).

There is a power imbalance in the growing and production of rice noodles. Oxfam research estimates that farmers in several countries, including Vietnam, only receive 4-17% of the consumer paid price whereas retailers domestically receive 22-24%; furthermore, retailers value share has steadily climbed but profits for farmers have actually fallen (Oxfam, 2019). Rice growers in Vietnam are most impacted by rising production costs, climate change and destabilization of the price of rice allowing this product to have a power imbalance.

Famers bear the brunt of climate change and production costs, A rice export organization could stabilize prices and help to ensure farmers don’t switch to more lucrative crops or into factory jobs (Khan Giang, 2023). A rice coop could help nations like Thailand and Vietnam as partnership could mutually benefit them by working together on water concerns, and sharing knowledge around production and quality.

References

Khag Giang, N. (2023) Vietnam and Thailand’s rice cartel is a hard sell – but rice farmers need more help. Fulcrum. https://fulcrum.sg/vietnam-and-thailands-rice-cartel-is-a-hard-sell-but-rice-farmers-need-more help/#:~:text=Vietnamese%20farmers%20earn%20an%20average,0.5%20hectares%20of%20cultivable%20land.

Segal, R. & Minh, L. (2019). Unfair harvest: the state of rice in Asia. Oxfam. https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/unfair-harvest-the-state-of-rice-in-asia-620646/#:~:text=New%20research%20commissioned%20by%20Oxfam,a%20basic%20but%20decent%20income.

The Anh, D., Van Ting, T., Ngoc Vang, N. (2020). The domestic rice value chain in the Mekong Delta.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-0998-8_18

Tufoco. (2023). Thuan Phong Co., ltd. http://tufocofood.com/gioi-thieu.htm