Although Vietnam is blessed with fertile land and a tropical climate suited to high-quality agricultural cultivation, the coffee industry here has faced challenges that have in the past prevented it from truly blossoming. Now, Vietnam is experiencing a renaissance and coffee is at the center of it. The solutions we have implemented make us a part of this new chapter of Vietnam.
The current economic problems in Vietnamese coffee industry:
Competition in price instead of quality.
Lack of sustainable practices in the Vietnamese coffee industry
Factors that contribute to the competition in price.
There is currently more competition in price than in quality, which stems from the conditions of farmers. Many farmers are poor and lack the education necessary to avoid being exploited. They also have very limited knowledge about specialty coffee and sustainable farming practices, and they are trapped into a short-term cycle of thinking. The soil is contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizer for a maximum yield of low-quality coffee cherries in the growing process. Farmers also strip the plants of both green and ripe cherries simultaneously before drying coffee on the ground where it is exposed to mold and premature germination, and moisture content is not stabilized during storage. All of this is a result of the lack of knowledge and resources these farmers have access to and the commodity market that does not incentivize them to produce quality coffee.
If the farmers are incentivized to do this, Vietnamese coffee will be perceived as a leading origin for fine graded robusta.
Our Solutions
Our producers meets the quality standards set forth by the Specialty Coffee Association for Specialty Arabica and Fine Robusta, the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), and the Uganda Coffee Development Authority. These standards ensure the sensory quality that attracts specialty coffee roasters.
Soil
We test and gauge the health stages of the soil. If it is no longer suitable for growing, we will regenerate the soil.
Planting
Other types of trees are planted near the coffee for shade and protection, creating a natural ecosystem like coffee trees would experience in the wild.
Caring/Cultivating
Instead of the synthetic fertilizer other farms use, we minimize agricultural wastes and use organic fertilizers.
Harvesting
Our producers only pick ripe coffee cherries.
Drying
By using raised beds in a greenhouse for the drying process, we prevent fungus and mold in the coffee and eliminate dirt contamination.
Controlled Moisture Contents
The moisture content of our coffee must be at 10.5 – 12%.
Environmental Protection
We are committed to employing sustainable practices on our farm and educating other farms on doing the same. In addition to working to improve our wastewater treatment, we train other farms on recycling practices to reuse products and composting agricultural waste in order to make organic fertilizer.
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