Volcafe Vietnam expands its offering of responsibly sourced coffee

Through the expansion of its sourcing network, Volcafe doubles the volume of coffee produced responsibly.

Volcafe has been present in Vietnam for almost 30 years. Thanks to a deep understanding of the challenges the farmers face, the Volcafe Vietnam team has established strong relationships with coffee farmers around the country.

Over the past years, Volcafe Vietnam has stepped up its participation in sustainable certifications such as Rainforest Alliance and 4C. Working together with farmers to adhere to these standards not only diversifies the supply of responsible coffees, but also supports efforts to adapt to climate change and reduce carbon emissions in coffee production.

To support the socioeconomic and environmental progress of Arabica coffee farmers in Son La, Lam Dong (Vietnam) and Champassak (Laos), Volcafe Vietnam has strategically intensified its efforts to implement new certification programmes as well as Volcafe RS value chains. This expanded opportunity for farmers has been achieved through guidance and trainings on good agricultural practices and other farming techniques from the Volcafe Way farmer support programme.

Volcafe Vietnam's technical guidance is invaluable for Arabica coffee farmers in these regions, for several reasons. As in many places, traditional farming methods and customs are proving insufficient to cope with increased water scarcity and other effects of climate change, so new techniques and tailored methods can greatly benefit farmers' crops and yields. As Arabica growers in a Robusta-dominated coffee sector, targeted advice for their coffee variety and local conditions can be hard to come by, but an added dimension is that the ethnic minority communities of Lam Dong and Champassak sometimes lack access to the latest agronomy information or find it unavailable in their languages. This is where in-person advice and guidance by Volcafe Way field technicians can make a real difference. By undertaking the journey to make their coffees meet sustainability standards and certifications, the farmers develop a sharpened sense of the economics of coffee growing while learning practical approaches to adapt their farming to the changing climate.

Through these combined efforts with farmers, Volcafe Vietnam is now in a position to better fulfill worldwide demand for responsibly sourced coffee, with an expanded offering that now includes Volcafe Verified as well as 4C, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, C.A.F.E. Practices and coffees traceable through Farmer Connect.

Juan José Suelves, General Manager of Volcafe Vietnam, says: ‘Coffee farming comes with its lot of challenges, such as market volatility, regulatory changes, or climate change. It is our responsibility to support coffee farmers in navigating them, helping them to comply with new regulations like EUDR or implementing sustainable agricultural practices. We believe that Volcafe RS and certification programmes not only open doors to new markets for them, but also support them in overcoming and mitigating those challenges.'

Coffee farmers from central highland participating in C.A.F.E Practices training

Targeted advice from Volcafe Way technicians and tailored methods can greatly benefit crops and yields.

In-person advice and guidance by Volcafe Way field technicians can make a real difference.

On the ground support and training is invaluable for coffee farmers.

Adapting farming practices to the changing climate helps coffee farmers overcome and mitigate those challenges.