MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam

In this brief, we explore diet quality gaps in survey data collected in a transect of locations in Vietnam, including an urban district, a peri-urban district, and a rural district. We find that healthy foods are relatively underconsumed, at least among adolescents. We find that when households repo...

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Main Authors: de Brauw, Alan, Huynh, Tuyen, Dao The Anh, Pham Thi Hanh Tho, Truong Tuyet Mai
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178933
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author de Brauw, Alan
Huynh, Tuyen
Dao The Anh
Pham Thi Hanh Tho
Truong Tuyet Mai
author_browse Dao The Anh
Huynh, Tuyen
Pham Thi Hanh Tho
Truong Tuyet Mai
de Brauw, Alan
author_facet de Brauw, Alan
Huynh, Tuyen
Dao The Anh
Pham Thi Hanh Tho
Truong Tuyet Mai
author_sort de Brauw, Alan
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In this brief, we explore diet quality gaps in survey data collected in a transect of locations in Vietnam, including an urban district, a peri-urban district, and a rural district. We find that healthy foods are relatively underconsumed, at least among adolescents. We find that when households report purchasing most types of healthy foods, they buy them from MSMEs. Among types of healthy foods that are underconsumed, we find they are most commonly available at small groceries. Therefore, as Vietnam begins to implement policies to guide food systems transformation at the subnational level, it would seem worthwhile to target small groceries as a conduit for selling more components of healthy diets. De Brauw, Anh and Pham (2024) find that some business skills are particularly lacking among small groceries; for example, they find that very few small groceries have financial records, record sales, or have a written budget. Small groceries also lack access to finance. However, many of them also sell less healthy foods, such as refined grains (such as white rice), sweets, and sugar sweetened beverages. Therefore it is important to combine any business skills with nutrition education, to try to ensure that business owners do not use newfound skills to promote the sale of additional unhealthy products. There are several policy levers, existing at both the national and provincial levels, that could be used to help MSMEs sell more healthy products. However, it is important to monitor these policies to ensure that they are catalyzing food systems transformation towards healthy diets. With appropriate training and potentially additional finance, MSMEs selling healthier foods can be encouraged to grow and improve the accessibility of healthy foods.
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spelling CGSpace1789332025-12-18T18:58:25Z MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam de Brauw, Alan Huynh, Tuyen Dao The Anh Pham Thi Hanh Tho Truong Tuyet Mai diet small and medium enterprises microenterprises healthy diets food consumption In this brief, we explore diet quality gaps in survey data collected in a transect of locations in Vietnam, including an urban district, a peri-urban district, and a rural district. We find that healthy foods are relatively underconsumed, at least among adolescents. We find that when households report purchasing most types of healthy foods, they buy them from MSMEs. Among types of healthy foods that are underconsumed, we find they are most commonly available at small groceries. Therefore, as Vietnam begins to implement policies to guide food systems transformation at the subnational level, it would seem worthwhile to target small groceries as a conduit for selling more components of healthy diets. De Brauw, Anh and Pham (2024) find that some business skills are particularly lacking among small groceries; for example, they find that very few small groceries have financial records, record sales, or have a written budget. Small groceries also lack access to finance. However, many of them also sell less healthy foods, such as refined grains (such as white rice), sweets, and sugar sweetened beverages. Therefore it is important to combine any business skills with nutrition education, to try to ensure that business owners do not use newfound skills to promote the sale of additional unhealthy products. There are several policy levers, existing at both the national and provincial levels, that could be used to help MSMEs sell more healthy products. However, it is important to monitor these policies to ensure that they are catalyzing food systems transformation towards healthy diets. With appropriate training and potentially additional finance, MSMEs selling healthier foods can be encouraged to grow and improve the accessibility of healthy foods. 2025-12-17 2025-12-17T15:51:54Z 2025-12-17T15:51:54Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178933 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute de Brauw, Alan; Huynh Tuyen; Dao The Anh; Pham Thi Hanh Tho; Truong Tuyet Mai; and Huong Pham. 2025. MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam. Better Diets and Nutrition Policy Brief. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178933
spellingShingle diet
small and medium enterprises
microenterprises
healthy diets
food consumption
de Brauw, Alan
Huynh, Tuyen
Dao The Anh
Pham Thi Hanh Tho
Truong Tuyet Mai
MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam
title MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam
title_full MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam
title_fullStr MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam
title_full_unstemmed MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam
title_short MSMEs and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in Viet Nam
title_sort msmes and their role in encouraging sustainable healthy diets in viet nam
topic diet
small and medium enterprises
microenterprises
healthy diets
food consumption
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178933
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