How Small-Scale Shrimp Farmers Take Advantage of Social Media to Develop their Livelihood Strategies: A Case Study of Facebook Groups in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

This study explores the information exchange via social networking services (SNS) that influences small-scale farmers’ livelihood strategies in the digital era. We analyzed the content of posts and comments in Facebook groups created for shrimp farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The posts were made by traders of input materials or shrimp, shrimp farmers, or both of them. We categorized the traders’ posts into three types: advertisements, deals in shrimp, and recruitments. Posts from both traders and shrimp farmers primarily focused on explanations of shrimp farming skills, and opinions on the shrimp farming situation in Vietnam. The farmers’ posts were classified as consultations on daily challenges in shrimp farming. Overall, advertisements from input dealers constituted the majority of posts. An unspecified number of readers followed multidirectional discussions categorized as explanations of shrimp farming skills, opinions on the shrimp farming situation in Vietnam, or consultations on daily challenges in shrimp farming. These discussions allowed readers to raise sensitive issues specific to shrimp farming that were often difficult to address due to community-based relationships. The findings indicate that SNS plays a significant role in helping shrimp farmers face their challenges.