Dak Lak coffee faces heritage expectations

Introducing products at the Central Highlands coffee festival. Photo: HAI NAM

Humanistic vision in a global context

UNESCO affirms: Heritage conservation is not about “keeping the past”, but is an ethical and humanistic commitment of the world to the world, for sustainable development and peace . UNESCO's concept of “living heritage” emphasizes: Heritage is not a static object or a document of the past, “frozen” in a museum, but a dynamic cultural practice, present in contemporary life, maintained and continuously recreated to adapt to the natural environment and modern society.

Heritage conservation is not only about preserving the past, but also about investing in the future. It is a strategy for building a culturally diverse society, developing a sustainable economy and enhancing resilience to global challenges. Heritage is no longer seen as a passive object that needs to be protected, but as a dynamic subject participating in the process of social development. The value of heritage lies in its significance to the community, not just in its rarity or age. Heritage can change and develop naturally, existing sustainably with the community. Heritage is not "frozen" in the past but must be practiced and promoted in the present. In the context of increasingly severe climate change, many forms of "living heritage" not only preserve knowledge, but also shape a respectful and harmonious relationship between humans and the natural environment. Recognizing and promoting these values is the key to building an effective and sustainable action strategy to respond to climate change.

From those perceptions, it can be seen that Dak Lak has a potential…

Coffee heritage in Dak Lak in green development ecosystem

The knowledge of planting, caring for, harvesting and processing coffee in Dak Lak is a “living” stream of knowledge, created and created by the Ede, M’Nong and migrant communities over many generations. This knowledge is formed from the process of continuous observation - practice - adaptation - creation in the face of the natural conditions of the basalt plateau. The “living” nature of coffee heritage is expressed in livelihoods, culture and rituals - from the experience of creating canopy, watering, harvesting, natural fermentation, manual roasting and grinding, from the habit of gathering around a cup of raw coffee every morning, to agricultural rituals... Those cultural practices create a cultural - economic ecosystem, where indigenous knowledge, sensory abilities, and community connections are maintained and passed on.

The community that holds the knowledge and skills is both the practitioner who maintains and the creator of the future of the heritage, of the cultural identity and becomes the central creative resource. Looking at coffee culture from the perspective of "living heritage", Dak Lak is protecting and promoting the value of heritage associated with sustainable development: Converting to sustainable farming (regenerative agriculture, organic, water-saving irrigation) based on indigenous knowledge combined with modern science and technology, thereby linking heritage with green economy and climate adaptation; Developing coffee cultural tourism such as farmstay, agricultural experiences, coffee festivals, helping the community directly participate and benefit; Improving and promoting manual brewing - roasting - grinding skills to create brands, creating cultural values; Upgrading planting, processing, packaging and marketing techniques. Coffee heritage in Dak Lak is therefore not only production knowledge, but also the foundation for an ecological - cultural economic model. This is consistent with the orientation of building a dossier on Dak Lak Coffee Culture to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the “Good Practices” List, emphasizing the requirements for community-based conservation, protection of cultural rights, participation rights and benefits of the community throughout the value chain.

Emphasizing the role of "soft resources"

Dak Lak has a unique heritage and a rich indigenous knowledge system as a resource for development. The diverse ethnic minority communities here have the need to create livelihoods, improve community capacity and achieve sustainable development goals. In addition to the Gong Culture Space, Epics, and Brocade Weaving, there is also Coffee Culture. Dak Lak has/is demonstrating the ability to dynamically and creatively apply UNESCO's "living heritage" perspective into practice, turning heritage into a resource for sustainable development in the green economy, turning heritage into a source of "soft" power for/for development, and at the same time being a good model when protecting living heritage associated with the community.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, assessed: By turning coffee knowledge into a resource for livelihood, culture and environment, Dak Lak is demonstrating a dynamic and creative application of UNESCO's viewpoint: Living heritage not only needs to be protected, but must be "activated" and spread as a driving force for sustainable development. Dak Lak is approaching a model in the spirit of: Community-based conservation - Heritage-based development - Sustainability based on culture. This is not only a direction in line with the spirit of UNESCO, but also a valuable experience for the entire highland coffee culture region.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ca-phe-dak-lak-truoc-ky-vong-di-san-post926098.html