Will participating in ECPs improve organic tea farmers' income in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic?

ABSTRACT

Product commercialization is an integral part of the production chain. Previously, most farming households sold organic tea to traders, supermarkets, and consumers at traditional markets. However, in the context of the complicated development of the COVID-19 epidemic, they have gradually switched to selling online or on e-commerce platforms (ECPs). The benefits of ECPs to the community's health have been demonstrated in many studies. However, the economic benefits for organic tea farmers have not been specifically considered. This study aims to shed light on whether participating in ECPs improves the income of organic tea farmers in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. To answer this question, we used the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method after interviewing 298 organic tea farmers in the mountainous provinces of northern Vietnam. Research results have shown that farming households that use ECPs to sell products have a higher income than those that do not use ECPs. This result implies that supporting and promoting farmers to put organic tea on ECPs is a valuable solution to help them improve their income. Therefore, local authorities and farmers' associations in the mountainous provinces of northern Vietnam should find practical solutions to support farmers' participation in ECPs during the current epidemic.