Project launched to boost green, sustainable adaptation for ethnic minority communities

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with CARE Vietnam, on March 23 launched a project named “Green and Sustainable Adaptation for Ethnic Minority Communities in Son La province” (MekongElevate). Attending the event were Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, along with leaders of several departments and agencies, as well as representatives of enterprises and cooperatives engaged in coffee cultivation and processing.

At the ceremony to launch “Green and Sustainable Adaptation for Ethnic Minority Communities in Son La province” project.

Son La currently has more than 33,600 hectares of coffee, making it the locality with the largest area of Arabica coffee cultivation in the country. In 2025, output was estimated at nearly 37,700 tonnes of coffee beans, with over 35,000 hectares certified under sustainable standards.

The province is home to 28 enterprises and cooperatives involved in production and processing, with five products recognised under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme. Coffee export volume is estimated at around 27,800 tonnes, with a value exceeding 112 million USD.

However, the coffee sector continues to face numerous challenges, including small-scale production, the impacts of climate change, limited value chain linkages, and increasingly stringent market requirements.

Delegates at the launching ceremony.

Funded by the Government of Australia through the Mekong-Australia Partnership, the project will be implemented through March 2029 in Muong Chanh and Muoi Noi communes. Key activities include training on climate-smart agriculture; developing demonstration models; and promoting the replanting of aging coffee plantations with new, more resilient varieties.

The project also aims to expand shaded coffee cultivation areas, apply agroforestry systems, and support farmers in post-harvest processing and market linkages through cooperatives, thereby enhancing the added value of coffee products.

Delegates discuss orientations for developing the coffee sector for ethnic minority communities in Son La.

The project aims to enhance climate resilience among upland communities, particularly ethnic minority women, youth, and persons with disabilities, while promoting sustainable livelihoods linked to the coffee sector.

Through the project, local residents will be supported in adopting climate-smart agricultural models, improving production capacity, strengthening value chain linkages, and enhancing access to social welfare policies as well as post-disaster recovery support.

Alice Claire Hawkins, Second Secretary in charge of development cooperation at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, delivers remarks at the event.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Cong delivers remarks at the launch ceremony.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Vice Chairman Cong emphasised that the project holds practical significance at a time when the coffee sector is facing multiple challenges from climate change and increasing demands of international integration.

He called on relevant departments, sectors and localities to proactively coordinate and create favourable conditions to ensure the project is implemented on schedule and achieves its set objectives. At the same time, he affirmed that Son La province is committed to accompanying and supporting the project to maximise its effectiveness, contributing to improved incomes for local people and the development of a green and sustainable coffee sector.

The Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee presents the decision approving the acceptance of the project.

 

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