Gia Lai develops sustainable coffee against deforestation

According to the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Gia Lai, coffee growers in Gia Lai need to focus on intensive cultivation and increase productivity with technical solutions. When replanting old coffee areas, it is necessary to pay attention to choosing high-yielding, disease-resistant, and quality-tested varieties. Besides, farmers must improve the quality of coffee production according to international standards to meet export conditions, apply irrigation to save surface water and limit groundwater use.

On May 16, 2023, the European Parliament passed the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), expected to take effect from December 2024. Among Vietnam's main export sectors to the EU market, coffee is an agricultural product that will be significantly affected when this regulation is applied.

According to EUDR, 100% of Vietnamese coffee products imported into the European market need GPS information for each garden, based on which remote sensing monitoring systems confirm the risk of deforestation.

According to experts, adapting to EUDR is a positive and necessary step to transition to transparent and sustainable agricultural production, protect forest resources, and strengthen public-private cooperation with the EU market.

In response to information that Europe is developing anti-deforestation regulations for coffee products, Hoan said this is the primary export market for Vietnamese coffee. With this regulation, coffee production in deforested areas will not meet export conditions.

Therefore, in the near future, localities need to strengthen the protection of the forest environment and prevent deforestation for coffee plantations. According to Mr. Hoan, Gia Lai province will have a project to identify coffee growing areas to consider whether any areas are in deforested areas or not. Coffee is the main crop of Gia Lai province with an existing area of ​​over 105,000 hectares, spread across 10 districts and cities. The focus is on localities such as Chu Se, Dak Doa, Ia Grai, Chu Prong... Of which, nearly 60,000 hectares of coffee are produced according to VietGAP, 4C, RA, FLO, C.A.F.E standards.