“Revitalizing Vietnam’s Coffee Industry: Empowering Farmers for a Sustainable Future”

Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), met with Caroline Glowka, Senior Manager of Member Relations at the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), on May 10 in Hanoi. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

During the meeting, Caroline Glowka commended Vietnam as one of the world’s prominent coffee-producing regions. She attributed the success of GCP’s projects in the Central Highlands to the support, coordination, and partnership of VUFO and local stakeholders. These initiatives have positively impacted farmers’ knowledge, coffee bean quality and productivity, and, ultimately, their income.

“We aim to replicate this model in other GCP member countries by sharing our experience implementing projects in Vietnam,” said Caroline Glowka.

Lauren Weiss, GCP’s Senior Manager for Countries and Partnerships, expressed her gratitude for the ongoing support from VUFO, PACCOM, and Vietnamese partners. She emphasized their crucial role, especially in fundraising activities, to sustain and expand their efforts.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung highlighted the significance of coffee as one of Vietnam’s primary export products, contributing 3% to the country’s GDP. In 2023, coffee export turnover surpassed USD 4.24 billion. While Vietnamese coffee beans are renowned for their quality, Hung acknowledged limitations in processing techniques. He pointed out that Vietnam primarily exports raw beans to coffee-processing nations, which has led to a lack of brand recognition among international consumers.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung called for GCP’s active collaboration with farmers, entrepreneurs, local authorities, and the government to bridge the gap between Vietnamese coffee brands and the global market. He suggested GCP continue sharing information, experiences, and successful coffee production and distribution models with Vietnamese farmers and partners to foster a more sustainable and prosperous coffee industry in Vietnam.