Digital Capacity Education for Young Farmers in the Northeast Region, Vietnam: A Study of Agricultural Product Consumption

Abstract

Young farmers are agricultural workers aged from 18 to under 35, residing in rural areas and actively engaged in agricultural production. They play a crucial role in promoting the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. In the current context, young farmers are living in a dynamic market economy, which provides them with numerous opportunities for personal development in areas such as ideology, creativity, scientific knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship, and individual passions. Findings from a study of 400 young farmers in provinces of Northeast Vietnam reveal that their digital competence remains low, with an average overall score of 2.08. Specifically, the sub-competencies include: information search and management (2.49), digital communication and collaboration (2.34), digital content creation (1.92), digital safety (1.80), and problem-solving in digital environments (1.88). This study provides a granular diagnosis of digital competency gaps, serving as a foundational basis for designing targeted, context-specific educational interventions for this demographic. These results highlight a need for local authorities, management agencies, and young farmers themselves to recognize the current level of digital competence in the context of agricultural product marketing. This serves as an empirical basis for proposing targeted solutions to improve digital capabilities in the near future.