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| Vietnamese coffee – A heritage that connects the world. |
The workshop was organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak province in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, UNESCO, and Yunnan University (China), with the support of Trung Nguyen Legend Group and over 200 delegates including scientists , experts, managers, businesses, and organizations from both within and outside the country.
Local identity and global value of coffee
The “Global Coffee Industry Value Chain – Global, Local and Sustainable Development” (Glocal and Sustainable Development: Coffee Industry Global Value Chain Top Forum 2025) attracted nearly 70 papers covering various fields from economics , society, culture, anthropology, heritage studies to processing technology, global value chains and sustainable development from scientists, experts, researchers, organizations and businesses, including 8 outstanding papers presented live at the program (December 6, 2025).
Discussing the value of coffee in the global value chain, in the presentation "For coffee culture to be recognized by UNESCO as a Good Practice heritage - The vibrant role of the community as the subject of the heritage," Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, representing the research group, stated: "Coffee is not only a strategic export industry that brings in a large amount of foreign currency, but also creates a closed economic-cultural-social- tourism value chain." Coffee is also analyzed in its role as a "social connector," a means of communication, "going for coffee" to meet, chat, and build social networks.
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| Miss Thanh Thuy and First Runner-up Trinh Thuy Linh experienced Trung Nguyen Legend World Coffee (7 Nguyen Van Chiem Street, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), a unique coffee space that brings together the essence of three world coffee civilizations along with the local cultural imprint of Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak. |
From an international perspective, in her presentation "Taste Hierarchies of Taiwanese Coffee," Professor Chung Hsiu-Mei shared her research on Taiwanese coffee culture, stating that "the formation and evolution of coffee culture reflects social change" and asserting that coffee shops "are not just places of consumption, but symbolic spaces where social identities, aesthetic sensibilities, and class boundaries are simultaneously expressed and continuously debated." In her research on urban women consuming specialty coffee in Kunming (Brewing Friendship: How Urban Women Build a "Community of Philia" through Specialty Coffee Consumption in Southwest China), Professor Jiang Yan-rong from Yunnan University (China) emphasized the community-connecting value of coffee, stating that "sharing knowledge and consuming coffee has formed a community bound together by friendship and camaraderie, fostering intercultural dialogue."
In particular, the approach to coffee from the perspective of intangible cultural heritage with global values was the focus of in-depth analysis at the workshop. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak province stated: “The transformation from a “commodity coffee economy” to a “cultural coffee economy” not only increases the value of the product but also creates a sustainable development model, transforming coffee from an agricultural product into a creative cultural and economic resource.” At the workshop, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Cham argued: “Developing tourism based on the cultural heritage of coffee is also a way for coffee to participate in the process of sustainable development, aiming towards a harmonious, humane, distinctive, and creative society.”
Accordingly, the story of Vietnamese coffee, which "has transcended the basic function of a beverage to become a cultural identity symbol," and is considered "a prime example of the intersection between global elements and local identity," was analyzed in depth at the conference.
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| The World Coffee Museum – an iconic landmark of Vietnam's coffee industry – has been described by the Associated Press as "the largest, most vibrant, and unique living museum" and "one of the 17 best places to visit in Vietnam," according to a poll by leading travel magazine Wanderlust. |
Dak Lak – the coffee capital of Vietnam – is both the largest coffee producing region in the country and a repository of indigenous knowledge about coffee cultivation, processing, and enjoyment, forming a rich and distinctive "coffee culture space" that connects communities. In particular, at the conference, in her presentation "For coffee culture to be recognized by UNESCO as a Good Practice heritage – The vibrant role of the community as the subject of the heritage," Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang stated that "the knowledge of cultivation and processing in Dak Lak" is a vibrant, multi-layered heritage, embodying the knowledge, skills, customs, and rituals of many generations of the Central Highlands communities, possessing both continuity and adaptability." This contributes to shaping a new vision for the development of Vietnam's coffee industry within the global value chain.
Enhancing the value of Vietnamese coffee on the global value chain.
In March 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded the certificate "Knowledge of Coffee Cultivation and Processing in Dak Lak" as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This scientific conference and international forum, "Global Coffee Industry Value Chain – Global, Local and Sustainable Development," marks another important step in the process of building the dossier on "Knowledge of Coffee Cultivation and Processing in Dak Lak" to be submitted to UNESCO for inclusion in the List of Good Practices for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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| Mr. Jonathan Baker, Head of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam, highly appreciated the dedication, knowledge, and experience of the local authorities, scientists, businesses, and the community in their efforts to make Dak Lak coffee a source of cultural pride and promote sustainable development. |
UNESCO has inscribed many coffee-related practices, including: Arabian Coffee Culture and Traditions (2015), Ethiopian Coffee Rituals (2010), and Turkish Coffee (2013). "Meeting the conditions to become a model of good practice: a vibrant heritage, naturally preserved by the community, making a positive contribution to livelihoods, the environment, cultural exchange, and having the potential for international dissemination," the "Knowledge of Coffee Cultivation and Processing in Dak Lak" has a great chance of being inscribed by UNESCO, helping to honor indigenous knowledge, increase the brand value of Vietnamese coffee, and affirm the contribution of Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak on the world cultural heritage map.
At the workshop, Mr. Jonathan Baker – Head of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam – stated: “The research to build a dossier on ‘Knowledge of Coffee Cultivation and Processing in Dak Lak’ as an intangible cultural heritage is a visionary and very timely initiative, not only an advantage for the province, but also opening up opportunities for Vietnam to promote its cultural values to the world.”
This is the result of a long and continuous effort by dedicated state and local government leaders, along with the support of experts, businesses, organizations, and coffee growers and producers in Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak. Among them, Trung Nguyen Legend was mentioned by many experts and delegates at the conference as "one of the few businesses that focuses on investing in deep processing, bringing Vietnamese coffee culture to the world," and "enriching the identity and opening up a path of knowledge and philosophy for Vietnamese coffee."
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| Miss Vietnam Tiểu Vy, Miss Intercontinental Bảo Ngọc, and runner-up Hoàng My joined thousands of locals and tourists in celebrating the coffee plant at the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival. |
Since 2005, Trung Nguyên Legend has collaborated with Dak Lak province to promote coffee culture, linked to the geographical indication "Buon Ma Thuot Coffee". In 2011, the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival was officially recognized by the Prime Minister as a National Festival, attracting thousands of coffee lovers from Vietnam and abroad.
In 2012, at the World Economic Forum, the founder and chairman of Trung Nguyen Legend Group, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, proposed "7 initiatives for the global coffee industry" aimed at developing Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak into a global economic and cultural hub for coffee, contributing to bringing in $20 billion USD/year for the Vietnamese coffee industry.
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| Representatives from Trung Nguyen Legend shared initiatives to preserve and promote the value of Vietnamese coffee and coffee culture globally, aiming for a vision of $20 billion per year for the Vietnamese coffee industry. |
For over a decade, Trung Nguyên Legend has consistently strived to realize these initiatives. Along with preserving and diversifying coffee styles and cultural standards, Trung Nguyên Legend has spread Buon Ma Thuot robusta coffee, along with Vietnamese coffee culture and brand, globally through its unique product range and cafe model.
To date, Trung Nguyen Legend coffee is considered "diplomatic coffee," chosen as a gift for heads of state, politicians, and international ambassadors. The Trung Nguyen Legend chain of cafes is a popular "coffee destination" offering many interesting cultural experiences in China and the US, and will soon be present in Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Europe, and Asia…
In particular, the philosophy of Coffee Dao – “The Tao of Coffee” – originating from Vietnam, enlightened and created by its founder and chairman, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, aiming for a humane and compassionate lifestyle and opening up a sustainable future for the global community, has spread globally. Trung Nguyen Legend has been recognized by international media outlets such as Discovery, CNN, and Bloomberg as a symbol of “The Tao of Coffee”.
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| Experiencing Zen coffee, a practice of the Way of Coffee, Ms. Vanusia Nogueira - Director General of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) - said: "I never thought coffee could be enjoyed in such an artistic and philosophical way as Trung Nguyen Legend has created." |
In the process of global integration, Vietnamese coffee, linked to local cultural identity and knowledge, is forming a rich cultural value system, contributing to positioning Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak - the coffee capital of Vietnam - on the global map of cultural heritage and creative industries. The support of the Government and relevant ministries, local authorities, and the efforts of businesses and the community will promote the development of the Vietnamese coffee industry, making it not only a strategic agricultural product but also a symbol of sustainability and national identity globally.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ca-phe-viet-nam-di-san-ket-noi-toan-cau-336901.html
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