Vietnam coffee sustainability and deforestation challenge

In early July, officials highlighted how regenerative‑agriculture practices are helping Vietnam’s coffee sector meet tightening green standards and improve farmer incomes. A seminar on 5 July reinforced this message: Control Union Vietnam’s Wouter Melis Van Ravenhorst warned of “green barriers” from importing markets, while GIZ’s Hoàng Thị Thu Hương noted coffee’s role in Vietnam’s 2025‑2035 emission‑reduction plan. The Nestlé NESCAFÉ Plan’s three pillars—soil health, water management and biodiversity—are reported to cut chemical fertilizer use by 20‑40 % and halve irrigation water, while farmer incomes have risen 30‑150 % compared with conventional coffee‑only production. Participants stressed the need to make these concepts accessible to growers.

A late‑July investigation revealed that forest cover in the Central Highlands fell from 42.8 % in 1990 to 19 % by 2020, driven by decades of unregulated coffee‑farm expansion backed by policy and financing. The loss has fragmented habitats, accelerated soil erosion and created a “nutrient treadmill” that forces higher fertilizer use. Climate extremes could render half of the robusta belt unsuitable for coffee. Industry leaders and environmental groups are now emphasizing intercropping with shade trees, climate‑smart farming and traceability to preserve exports and remaining forest.

By early August, the sector’s robusta coffee boom had cleared more than 207,000 ha of tropical forest since 1990, threatening species such as tigers, elephants and the rare saola. The continued focus on volume over sustainability undermines water regulation, climate stability and rural livelihoods, even as coffee culture remains a national hallmark.