This article based on survey results of 205 responses from smallholders to understand the situation of contract farming in the short food chain of Vietnam in a case study of arable farming. The results showed that, only 15% smallholders signed written contracts with input suppliers, 32% had oral contracts. Vegetable growing group participated in the contract farming with input suppliers the most while the cereals group had the lowest number of people signing written contracts with the supplier. Half of the respondents want and willing to sign a written contract with the input suppliers, the highest demand for belong to the vegetable and fruit tree planting group. More than half of the smallholders participated in the product selling contract, but only 15% of them signed a written contract for the selling of their products. The vegetable growing smallholders participated in the product selling contract the most, while the perennial crops participated the least, and only a few of planting cereals smallholders signed a written contract to sell their products. The smallholder who did not participate in the product selling contract faced some vulnerable problems and get more difficulties in the selling of their agricultural products. Even though, many smallholders were not ready to participate and to sign a written selling contract. In order to improve the situation by participating in the farming contract, it is necessary to increase smallholders' awareness of the benefits of contract farming. National and local governments should have mechanisms and policies to promote short food chain linkages through contracts farming to develop local economies, strengthen agriculture and rural areas, create sustainable livelihoods for smallholder, improve a safe food supply system, contribute to the implementation of integrated food strategy.