Funds will be channeled through the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) plan, to coffee companies in Lam Dong and Daklak province. These pilot investments will be used to set up and improve cooperatives based on existing farmer groups. Smallholder farmers will be trained in sustainable production practices, using the National Sustainability Curriculum (NSC), and have improved market linkages through credible farmer organizations.
The work is made possible because of the collaboration of the Sustainable Landscape Program of IDH, the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), private sector and the World Bank under the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) plan.
As part of the pilot, IDH and the GCP will share learnings, from previous investments in sustainable production practices, including responsible agrochemical use (fertilizers and pesticides), water saving irrigation, climate change adaptation and etc.
For an example of these sustainable production practices taught through the (NSC) check our new video on the Coffee Heroes in Vietnam.
This can be considered a first success in Vietnam on the path to aligned landscape-wide investment of the public and private sector in sustainable coffee production. The results of these investments shall create the conditions for both productive and profitable farmers within sustainable landscapes.
Importance of coffee for Vietnam
Coffee is a strategic commodity for Vietnam, creating livelihood and jobs for nearly 2 million people. The sustainable development of the sector is therefore crucial for the country. As a result, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Vietnam has implemented the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) with support of US$301 million from the World Bank (for sustainable rice and coffee production in the period 2015- 2020).
Coffee strategy in the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT)
The program is expected to benefit 63,000 coffee farmers through increasing sustainable production practices, including water management and intercropping/agroforestry, rejuvenation techniques and seedlings, cooperatives and farmer organizations capacity building. To accelerate the development of cooperatives and sustainable production practices, the VnSAT program will provide technical training, credit packages and infrastructure investments and capacity building to 162 cooperatives in 5 provinces of the Central Highlands.