Towards the roadmap for building the dossier "Knowledge of Coffee Cultivation and Processing in Dak Lak" to submit to UNESCO.

VHO - The international workshop on the global coffee value chain in Dak Lak opens a roadmap to bring Vietnamese coffee to the world, linked to heritage, livelihoods, and sustainable development.

Delegates attending the workshop on the morning of December 6th.

On the morning of December 6th, at the World Coffee Museum (Buon Ma Thuot ward, Dak Lak province), the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak province, in collaboration with the University of Culture of Ho Chi Minh City, UNESCO, and Yunnan University (China), organized a scientific conference and international forum titled “Global Coffee Industry Value Chain - Global, Local and Sustainable Development,” sponsored by Trung Nguyen Group Joint Stock Company.

Linking brand development with sustainable livelihoods.

The workshop was the central event in a series of activities taking place over two days, December 5th and 6th, bringing together a large number of scientists, experts, managers, and businesses from both domestic and international backgrounds to discuss the role of coffee in the global value chain from economic , cultural, heritage, and sustainable development perspectives.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Lam Nhan - Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, stated that the workshop was taking place in the context of Dak Lak province and the Central-Western Highlands region suffering severe consequences from the historic floods of 2025.

Thousands of households were affected, and infrastructure and key crop areas were severely damaged. These losses are not only material damages but also represent difficulties, anxieties, and hardships that weigh heavily on the lives of the people.

Associate Professor Lam Nhan, representing the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, presented the donation to support the people of Dak Lak affected by natural disasters and floods.

"In this solemn moment, we would like to express our deepest condolences for the losses our compatriots have suffered," Mr. Lam Nhan stated, adding that based on this practical experience, the workshop not only has academic significance but also aims to find fundamental solutions to stabilize livelihoods, restore production, and ensure sustainable development for the culturally rich Central Highlands region.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Lam Nhan, coffee is a strategic industrial crop, a source of pride for Dak Lak and the Central Highlands, but it is also a crop with specific ecological requirements and is very sensitive to climate change.

The expansion of coffee cultivation over the years has brought immediate economic benefits, but it has also posed significant challenges regarding water resources, deforestation, and ecological balance.

“Every hectare of coffee plantation expansion comes at the cost of shrinking primary forests – which play a crucial role in regulating water flow, protecting soil, and maintaining water resources. Long-term forest decline, coupled with the impact of climate change, is one of the underlying causes of increased devastation from natural disasters,” Associate Professor Dr. Lam Nhan assessed.

Therefore, the workshop emphasized the need to view the development of the coffee industry not just as a story about the crop, but also as a complex relationship between ecology, economics, culture, community, and social responsibility.

Delegates attending the workshop

This international workshop also holds special significance in the process of building the dossier "Knowledge of growing, processing and enjoying Central Highlands coffee" to be submitted to UNESCO for inscription on the List of Good Practices for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This is seen as an important opportunity to honor indigenous knowledge, enhance the brand value of Vietnamese coffee, and affirm the position of the Central Highlands on the world cultural heritage map.

Vietnamese coffee: from indigenous heritage to the global market.

According to the organizers, after more than two months of implementation, the conference received 67 scientific papers, spanning many fields from economics, society, culture, anthropology, heritage studies to processing technology, global value chains and sustainable development.

The presentations were divided into three main thematic groups: Coffee heritage: local identity and global value; Coffee value chain, industry and technology in the context of globalization; Coffee, social responsibility and sustainable development.

Delegates visited and experienced coffee picking at coffee farms in the area.

The presentations focused on clarifying the role of coffee in the flow of cultural exchange and transformation; the practice of indigenous coffee in the context of globalization; positioning coffee heritage in economic, social, and tourism development; and preserving and promoting local knowledge in coffee cultivation, care, processing, and enjoyment.

The organizers expect the conference to become a prestigious academic space, connecting scientists and managers to jointly build a strategic vision for the Vietnamese coffee industry, aiming for a balance between economic development, cultural preservation, and the conservation of the headwater forest ecosystem – the vital ecological foundation of the Central Highlands region.

Beyond academic discussions, the conference program also offers many unique cultural experiences such as coffee meditation, interaction with heritage practitioners at coffee farms, visits to the World Coffee Museum, and enjoying the Ottoman coffee 3D mapping show…

This allows delegates to gain in-depth insight into Vietnamese coffee culture through direct and vivid experiences.

Through this workshop, the coffee industry in Dak Lak in particular and Vietnam in general continues to affirm its development orientation along the global value chain, linked with local identity, social responsibility, and sustainable development goals, in line with global trends and practical requirements in the context of climate change.

Coffee has long transcended its role as an agricultural product to become a cultural asset, closely intertwined with the lives, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable livelihoods of the ethnic minority communities in the Central Highlands.

In Dak Lak, the coffee capital of Vietnam, coffee cultivation plays a pivotal role in the economy, directly impacting income, social welfare, and local development, especially for the Ede, M'nong, and Gia Rai communities.

Visit the International Coffee Museum.

More than just a crop that helps alleviate poverty, coffee also embodies a system of traditional knowledge about cultivation, processing, and how to interact with the land and the environment. Over generations, coffee has become deeply ingrained in the way of life, shaping cultural practices, nurturing community spirit, and fostering a sense of belonging and pride in the identity of the local people.

On March 5, 2025, "Knowledge of Coffee Cultivation and Processing in Dak Lak" was officially inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is an important milestone, affirming the cultural value of coffee alongside its economic value, and opening up opportunities to elevate coffee products in the international market.

The international forum “Global Coffee Industry Value Chain – Global, Local and Sustainable Development” on December 5-6, 2025, not only promotes academic exchange and sharing of international experiences, but also serves as the starting point in the process of building a dossier to submit to UNESCO.

If recognized, the value of Dak Lak coffee beans would be enhanced by their cultural depth, history, and local knowledge, contributing to market expansion, heritage tourism development, and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the community.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/huong-toi-lo-trinh-xay-dung-ho-so-tri-thuc-trong-va-che-bien-ca-phe-dak-lak-trinh-unesco-186197.html