Payments for forest environmental services support sustainable coffee development

On the morning of October 23, Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment (HUNRE), in collaboration with Tropenbos Viet Nam (Center for Tropical Forest Research), held a scientific workshop titled “Coffee and Payments for Forest Environmental Services: From Pilot Models to Policy Recommendations.”

Associate Professor Dr. Le Thi Trinh, Vice President of Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, stated that the Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) policy is one of Viet Nam’s breakthrough initiatives aimed at harmoniously linking forest protection with economic development toward sustainability. In the coffee sector, an industry that plays a vital role in the livelihoods of millions of farming households and the economic growth of the Central Highlands, the integration of PFES mechanisms presents many new issues that are both scientifically significant and practically meaningful.

According to Dr. Le Thi Trinh, the workshop provided a platform for scientists, policymakers, and business representatives to exchange research findings and practical models, while discussing orientations and policy solutions to enhance the effectiveness of PFES implementation within the coffee value chain.

The Vice President expressed her hope that the workshop would generate practical values, contributing to strengthening the scientific and practical foundation for future policy formulation and implementation.

Mr. Tran Huu Nghi, Director of the Tropenbos Viet Nam, noted that instead of maintaining the current practice of monoculture coffee farming, local farmers should consider transitioning to an agroforestry model - intercropping perennial trees with coffee. This approach not only contributes to forest restoration and protection but also helps farmers secure more resilient and sustainable livelihoods in the long term.

According to Mr. Tran Huu Nghi, it is important that farmers clearly recognize the intrinsic link between their income from coffee production and the benefits gained from the Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) scheme. While coffee growers must cover irrigation expenses as part of their production costs, they can, in return, receive financial incentives through PFES as compensation for their active role in conserving and expanding forest areas.

“Although policies in this field have yet to be fully developed and institutionalized, we hope that Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment and Tay Nguyen University (Dak Lak) will continue to strengthen their cooperation in conducting research and sharing practical findings,” Mr. Nghi emphasized.

“Such collaboration will not only contribute to improving scientific understanding but also provide local communities and authorities with the necessary evidence base to adjust their agricultural production models in ways that are adaptive to climate change and aligned with sustainable development goals,” he added.

During the morning session, participants presented research findings on the current status of coffee production, as well as the risks and vulnerabilities of the sector in the context of climate change. Many presentations compared the economic, social, and environmental effectiveness between pure coffee cultivation and agroforestry coffee models at several research sites in Dak Lak Province. In addition, the workshop also featured analyses on community awareness and readiness to adopt agroforestry models in Lak and Krong Bong districts.

In the afternoon session, experts and policymakers continued in-depth discussions on developing payment mechanisms for forest environmental services (PFES) applicable to forest-garden production activities and on building and promoting the “Green Contribution” (GOP XANH) brand, an initiative that aims to associate Vietnamese coffee with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Participants agreed that it is essential to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders involved, while proposing concrete steps to refine the PFES mechanism to ensure its feasibility and alignment with international standards, such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). These efforts, they emphasized, will help advance sustainable coffee production in Viet Nam by linking economic growth with environmental conservation and social accountability.