Participants included representatives of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, JDE Peet’s Group, relevant provincial departments and agencies, businesses, cooperatives, social organisations and coffee-growing households from Son La and Lam Dong provinces.

Son La currently has more than 44,000 hectares of coffee, with 2026 output estimated at nearly 51,000 tonnes of coffee beans. It has the largest Arabica coffee-growing area in Vietnam. The province has established two high-tech coffee production zones covering more than 1,039 hectares and six production-linked value chains spanning over 2,170 hectares. A total of 28 enterprises and cooperatives are engaged in coffee production, processing and sale. However, the sector still faces challenges in organising raw material areas, strengthening production linkages, ensuring quality management and traceability, while export markets are imposing increasingly stringent requirements on environmental protection, social responsibility and corporate governance. 

The SCE project will be implemented in Son La and Lam Dong during 2026–2029 by SNV and MSD, with co-funding from the EU under the Global Gateway initiative, JDE Peet’s Group and other partners. In Son La, the project was approved by the provincial People’s Committee under Decision No. 2109/QD-UBND dated August 19, 2026, and will cover Chieng Coi, Chieng An, Chieng Mai and Chieng Mung.

The project aims to support 65 micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises and relevant organisations in the coffee value chains in the two provinces in strengthening their capacity to implement environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. Activities will include training, consultancy and technical assistance; the development of ESG assessment tools and an online ESG Resource Centre; and the organisation of dialogues and networking events connecting businesses and cooperatives with financial institutions and investors.

By 2029, the project aims to provide ESG training for 40 businesses, cooperatives and industry associations, as well as 25 social organisations and mass organisations, with 40% of businesses applying ESG tools and developing action plans. It also plans to organise 12 multi-stakeholder forums and two investment matchmaking events, and produce four community initiative reports. The project targets 75% of participating businesses and cooperatives adopting or improving ESG practices. These targets apply to both Son La and Lam Dong provinces.

At the meeting, delegates discussed the current state of coffee development in Son La, experience in organising production and establishing value chain linkages in Lam Dong, challenges in meeting ESG standards, and the needs for support of businesses, cooperatives and coffee growers. They also proposed solutions to strengthen coordination among management agencies, units implementing the project and relevant stakeholders.

The SCE project is expected to help businesses and cooperatives strengthen governance capacity, improve production and business operations, and meet export market requirements. It will also promote value chain linkages, enhance the competitiveness of Son La coffee, and link production development with environmental protection and improved local incomes./.