Promote and develop Robusta coffee brand and...

Vietnam is the world's second largest producer of Robusta coffee, exporting about 1.5 million tons annually, accounting for about 18% of the world's total coffee exports and 43% of the world's total Robusta coffee exports.

At the same time, the quality and flavor of Vietnamese Robusta coffee are considered to be different, diverse, delicious... but are still not widely known by consumers.

Therefore, in order to make Vietnamese coffee more and more known to consumers around the world, on November 15, in Buon Ma Thuot ward, the Vietnam Coffee - Cocoa Association (VICOFA) in collaboration with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Global Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), and the Dak Lak 2/9 Import-Export One Member Limited Liability Company ( Simexco Daklak ) organized a seminar on "Solutions to promote and develop the Vietnamese Robusta coffee brand and orientation for developing Vietnamese specialty coffee".

This is one of the contents signed between Trans- Pacific Partnership Company and VICOFA on promoting the brand of Robusta coffee and Vietnamese specialty coffee globally.

Leading Robusta coffee exporter but little known to consumers

Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee - Cocoa Association Nguyen Nam Hai said: Up to now, Vietnam has a total coffee area of about 730,000 hectares, with 95% of the area planted with Robusta coffee, of which Dak Lak province has the largest coffee area in the country with about 213,000 hectares.

Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee - Cocoa Association Nguyen Nam Hai informed about the production and export situation of Vietnam's coffee at the seminar.

Most coffee is grown in suitable soil and climate conditions at an altitude of 400-800m above sea level, so there is a difference in quality compared to other countries that also grow Robusta such as Brazil, Indonesia, India...

Every year, Vietnam exports about 1.5 million tons, accounting for about 85% of the total domestic coffee output; domestic consumption is only 300 thousand tons, accounting for about 15% of the total output. With this export level, Vietnamese coffee accounts for about 18% of the world's total coffee export output and 43% of the total global Robusta coffee export output. Europe is still the largest market, accounting for nearly 50% of Vietnam's total coffee export output, of which 27 EU countries account for nearly 40%, followed by Japan, the US, etc.

Dak Lak is the "coffee capital" of the country with an area of about 213,000 hectares, annual output reaching about 545 thousand tons.

According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai, of the total annual coffee export volume of Vietnam, more than 91% is green coffee beans. The remaining nearly 9% is for processing instant coffee and roasted coffee. This is the main reason why Vietnam is the second largest country in terms of coffee output and export quantity; the first in Robusta coffee export, but consumers in the US and around the world hardly know about Vietnamese coffee.

On the other hand, among the enterprises exporting instant and roasted coffee, more than 81% are FDI enterprises. Apart from Trung Nguyen, L'amant, Intimex, very few Vietnamese enterprises have brands of roasted and ground instant coffee for export. Although there are many advantages, the added value and brand image of Vietnamese Robusta coffee are not yet commensurate with the current potential.

Therefore, within the framework of the recent business trip of the Vietnamese business delegation to the United States, VICOFA proposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Company to have a project to promote the Vietnamese coffee brand globally as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Company had done for Guatemala.

Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thien Van spoke at the seminar.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Lak province Nguyen Thien Van said that Dak Lak is the "capital" of coffee in the country with an area of about 213,000 hectares, annual output reaching about 545 thousand tons.

Over the years, the People's Committee of Dak Lak province has always been a pioneer in implementing programs to develop high-quality coffee, sustainably replant and enhance the value of the supply chain.

Since 2008, the province has implemented many important projects; in particular, Dak Lak's growing area has achieved the world's first 4C-EUDR certification for products that do not cause deforestation by the European Union and has now digitized 35% of the province's coffee area.

Not only focusing on raw material areas, Dak Lak is also a pioneer in promoting Vietnamese coffee to the world.

Since 2005, the province has organized the national Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival every two years, attracting hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors; at the same time, it has announced the geographical indication of Buon Ma Thuot coffee. To date, the geographical indication of Buon Ma Thuot coffee has been protected in 32 countries and territories around the world.

Up to now, Dak Lak coffee is exported to more than 70 countries and territories around the world.

To develop the coffee brand and value, Dak Lak province has issued a project to build Buon Ma Thuot into a "World Coffee City", and at the same time, many preferential policies on taxes and land use fees to attract investors in the coffee sector to Dak Lak. Notably, within the framework of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival in 2019, Dak Lak organized the first specialty coffee competition of Vietnam - Vietnam Amazing Cup.

Up to now, the competition has gone through 7 seasons, achieving very successful results; many award-winning products have continued to participate and achieve high results in international competitions, many samples were evaluated by the International Coffee Quality Institute as Fine Robusta with over 87 points, contributing to the position of Vietnamese coffee in the world market.

Developing green and circular economy - elevating Vietnamese coffee brand

Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association Nguyen Nam Hai said that with increasingly strict regulations from importing countries, especially the European Union's Regulation on Deforestation and Forest Degradation (EUDR) and increasing consumer demand around the world, Vietnam's coffee exports face many challenges.

Therefore, VICOFA orients the Vietnamese coffee industry in the coming years to develop production towards ecological agriculture, green and circular economy. Establish green standards, enhance the Vietnamese coffee brand associated with traceability, geographical indications and carbon credits.

Developing coffee production towards ecological agriculture, green economy and circularity will contribute to enhancing the Vietnamese coffee brand.

For specialty coffee, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has approved the project to develop Vietnamese specialty coffee with the aim of increasing the area and output of specialty coffee, supporting and building brands, expanding the market and improving product quality.

In the 2021-2025 period, the project aims to have a specialty coffee area of 11,500 hectares, accounting for about 2% of the country's coffee area, with an output of 5,000 tons. By 2030, the target is 19,000 hectares, accounting for about 3% of the country's total coffee area, with an output of 11,000 tons.

However, in reality, there is currently no official data on the total area of specialty coffee and the output of specialty coffee in Vietnam, but in general, the potential of specialty coffee in Vietnam is very large and especially the demand of young people and young businesses interested in specialty coffee is increasing. In particular, Dak Lak is the leading locality in building geographical indications for Buon Ma Thuot coffee and gradually developing specialty coffee.

Representatives of the World Specialty Coffee Organization and Trans-Pacific Partnership Company enjoy Vietnamese specialty coffee.

Chairman of Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association Trinh Duc Minh said: In the period of 2019-2025, the Association and its members have made efforts to synchronously deploy many adaptation solutions such as: Converting farming models to smart and sustainable directions; increasing the application of technology in production and processing; developing specialty coffee and high-quality coffee; deeply participating in value chains; expanding export markets...

At the same time, promote the connection between farmers-enterprises-scientists-government to improve the competitiveness of the local coffee industry...

In the coming time, Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association will continue to strengthen the management, development and protection of Buon Ma Thuot geographical indications, maintaining its role as a bridge between members and domestic and international agencies, businesses and organizations.

Based on the orientation for coffee industry development in the period 2025-2030, the Association will proactively propose and contribute ideas to perfecting mechanisms and policies on regenerative agriculture, reducing emissions, meeting EUDR regulations; promoting production and trading of Buon Ma Thuot geographical indication certified coffee, sustainable coffee, specialty coffee and deep-processed coffee.

At the same time, the Association will apply 4.0 technology, enhance traceability, monitor quality from garden to cup; encourage members to apply the circular economic model, contributing to realizing the Project on sustainable coffee development with a vision to 2030 of Dak Lak province and the Project on developing Vietnamese specialty coffee in the period 2021-2030.

Representatives of the World Specialty Coffee Organization proposed solutions to develop specialty coffee in Vietnam.

Vice Chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thien Van emphasized: "To continue to strongly promote the development of quality, brand and value of the Vietnamese coffee industry on the world map, Dak Lak province commits to accompany all parties in developing the specialty coffee value chain, from varieties, cultivation, processing to roasting and brewing.

With the global knowledge connection from the World Specialty Coffee Organization and the leading role of VICOFA, we believe that Vietnam will become a destination for Robusta lovers around the world, and the Buon Ma Thuot coffee brand will become the national brand for Vietnamese specialty coffee."

Businesses offered advice and proposed many practical solutions on building, promoting and developing Vietnamese coffee brands as well as specialty coffee in the international market.

At the seminar, representatives of the World Specialty Coffee Organization, Trans-Pacific Partnership Company, Simexco Daklak and businesses gave advice and proposed many practical solutions on building, promoting and developing the Vietnamese coffee brand in the US and globally as well as introducing the potential market for specialty coffee consumption in the world and specialty coffee in Vietnam...

Through that, we aim to constantly affirm our position, promote and develop our brand, and raise the level of Vietnamese coffee in the international arena.

Nguyen Cong Ly

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/quang-ba-phat-trien-thuong-hieu-ca-phe-robusta-va-ca-phe-dac-san-viet-nam-ra-toan-cau-402991.html