Dak Nong proves that coffee products do not cause deforestation

Adapt in time

Faced with increasingly stringent requirements from the European market, especially regulations on not causing deforestation, Dak Nong - one of the country's major coffee capitals is actively implementing solutions to prove that local coffee products are not related to deforestation.

Dak Nong has nearly 142,000 hectares of coffee, the main product of Dak Nong province, which is affected by the regulation of not causing deforestation.

On May 16, 2023, the European Union officially passed the EU Deforestation Reduction Regulation (EUDR). Accordingly, agricultural and forestry products such as coffee, cocoa, rubber, wood, etc., if they cannot prove their origin is not related to deforestation or forest degradation after December 31, 2020, will not be allowed to be imported into Europe. The EUDR also requires traceability of products to the orchard, determination of GPS coordinates, along with transparent accountability.

Dak Nong currently has 142,059 hectares of coffee, of which nearly 131,000 hectares are in harvest. The average annual output is 360,000 tons/year, accounting for about 18% of the country's total coffee output.

The coffee industry plays a key role in local economic development, directly affecting the livelihoods of about 400,000 people.

The process of producing high quality coffee is being applied by many coffee producers in Dak Mil.

Recognizing the importance of the EU market and the urgency of the zero deforestation regulation, since 2023, Dak Nong province has issued an action plan framework to adapt to this regulation.

Along with that, the province established a specialized working group to coordinate, supervise, and guide the implementation of the contents of establishing planting area coordinates, building databases, tracing origins, and coordinating interdisciplinary activities.

During 2023-2024, the province organized many thematic seminars such as “EUDR – Challenges and opportunities for Dak Nong Agriculture ” and “Promoting the coffee industry to comply with EUDR regulations”. The seminars helped hundreds of officials, businesses, cooperatives, and farmers understand the requirements, standards, and implementation solutions.

The coffee industry plays a key role in local economic development, directly affecting the livelihoods of about 400,000 people in Dak Nong.

In addition, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has issued many documents providing professional guidance to relevant localities and units, contributing to bringing policy information to villages and hamlets where coffee growers are concentrated.

Dak Nong has proactively coordinated with international organizations such as UNDP, IDH… to mobilize technical resources, support the construction of a database of growing areas, forests and a transparent traceability system. The province calls for the cooperation of businesses in the coffee production and consumption chain.

The EU's zero deforestation rule was originally scheduled to apply from December 2024 but has been delayed to December 2025 for large businesses and June 2026 for small and medium-sized enterprises.

And important steps

After nearly 2 years of implementation, Dak Nong has made important progress in adapting to EUDR. In Dak Nong province, 25 models of linking production and consumption of products have been built, with a total area of ​​13,300 hectares of coffee with the participation of 11,324 farming households. These models are synchronously implementing traceability and complying with regulations on no deforestation.

Dak Nong farmers produce coffee in compliance with regulations that do not cause deforestation.

Intimex Dak Nong Joint Stock Company is implementing a sustainable coffee development program in Krong No and Dak Glong districts with the participation of 10,000 farming households.

Toan Hang Private Enterprise has implemented a sustainable coffee production linkage model in Dak R'lap, Tuy Duc districts and Dak R'moan commune (Gia Nghia city) with 874 participating households. Hiep Loan Import-Export Company Limited is also implementing in Dak R'lap and Dak Glong districts with 450 farming households.

At the same time, Dak Nong has recognized a 335-hectare high-tech coffee production area in Thuan An commune, Dak Mil district and a 450-hectare high-tech Nam Binh coffee production area in Nam Binh commune, Dak Song district.

Dak Nong has 93 organizations and individuals certified to produce coffee meeting quality standards with about 32,954 hectares. Of which, 32,634 hectares are certified to meet 4C, UTZ, RA, Flo... standards, with an output of about 91,375 tons, the production areas are mainly concentrated in Dak Mil district and Dak R'lap district.

Cong Bang Thanh Thai Agricultural Cooperative, in Krong No district (Dak Nong) guides cooperative members in producing high quality coffee.

These are areas that apply sustainable farming processes and traceability systems to actual production. Coffee production areas have developed multi-canopy, intercropping, environmentally friendly trees, increased coverage, reduced erosion and adapted to climate change, in accordance with EUDR criteria.

Notably, large processing and exporting facilities have also accompanied the province, participating in building transparent raw material areas that meet international standards.

This is the key factor for Dak Nong coffee to maintain its market share in Europe and enhance its brand value in the global market.

Dak Nong currently has over 100 small and medium enterprises participating in purchasing coffee for export. The province’s coffee export output reaches an average of about 165,000 tons/year, worth nearly 200 million USD/year. The main markets include: Singapore, the US, Germany, Japan, Greece, Australia, Spain, Korea, Italy, etc.

The coffee industry directly impacts the livelihoods of more than 400,000 people in Dak Nong.

Despite initial achievements, Dak Nong province is still facing many difficulties. The forest and planting area data system has not been fully updated, lacking synchronization for each plot and plot. Small-scale gardens do not have complete legal records on land.

Some purchasing enterprises have not actively participated, mainly waiting for policies and support from the State. Deploying traceability technology solutions also requires large resources in terms of both finance and technical human resources - something that local budgets are still limited.

Despite many challenges, what Dak Nong has been doing shows a strong determination to protect the coffee export market.

In the coming time, the provincial Department of Agriculture will continue to synchronously deploy task groups, focusing on strengthening communication; reorganizing production according to the industry value chain to improve technical capacity for grassroots cadres; diversifying forms of production organization and linkage according to the value chain; promoting the application of digital technology and strictly protecting natural forest areas.

Dak Nong strives to prove that coffee products do not destroy forests

Mr. Le Trong Yen, Permanent Vice Chairman of Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee, said that the EUDR regulation not only poses challenges for the coffee industry but also opens up opportunities for this industry to develop more sustainably.

To meet the requirements of the EU market, the Vietnamese coffee industry needs to promote the application of sustainable farming measures, trace product origin and comply with environmental protection standards.

Despite many difficulties and challenges, the Dak Nong coffee industry will implement the European Union's regulations on anti-deforestation agricultural products.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/dak-nong-chung-minh-san-pham-ca-phe-khong-gay-mat-rung-251300.html