Improving biodiversity in coffee landscapes in Vietnam

4C, in cooperation with the Lake Constance Foundation, Agriculture and Forestry Research & Development Center for Mountainous Region (ADC), Vinh Hiep Gia Lai Co., Ltd and Fundación Humedales, has started a joint project to improve biodiversity in coffee landscapes in Vietnam.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project background

According to a report published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in May 2019, nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. Up to one million plant and animal species face extinction due to increasing deforestation rates, climate change, pollution and other human activities. The report showcases, that the loss of biodiversity is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Intensive agriculture is considered as one of the main drivers of the destruction of ecosystems, overexploitation of natural resources and contamination. Looking into coffee production, it is grown in some of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots”, which are areas of high vulnerability and biological importance.

Vietnam is the second-largest coffee exporter after Brazil, having expanded its area for Robusta coffee production from 15,000 ha in the mid-1980s to 600,000 ha in 2017/2018. The environmental footprint associated with this expansion and the intensification of Robusta coffee production is very significant. Especially the Central Highland region is marked by intensive monoculture plantations and intensive irrigation and fertilizer use which resulted in problems of soil degradation and pollution, destruction of groundwater, and pest infestation. Approximately 15% of Vietnam’s species are considered endangered and much of Vietnam’s biodiversity loss is linked to the loss of natural forest cover.

Improving biodiversity performance on coffee farms not only serves nature protection, but is also the basis for sustainable, successful, and climate change resilient coffee production. Awareness of agriculture-driven biodiversity loss is increasing in European markets, and companies are increasingly committing to more action on biodiversity. However, many projects and approaches are focused on singular topics, such as pesticide use or shade trees. What is missing is a holistic approach to biodiversity, accompanied by a pragmatic approach of demonstrating progress, which can be efficiently monitored and transparently communicated along the supply chain.

Project measures

The Biodiversity Performance Tool (BPT) developed by the EU LIFE Initiative “Food & Biodiversity” is a tool to fill this gap. It is a practical instrument to realize a baseline evaluation of the situation of biodiversity on the farm, makes visible strengths and weaknesses using a classification system of thresholds, and generates a Biodiversity Action Plan based on the baseline evaluation for two lines of action such as the creation of potential for biodiversity and the reduction of negative impacts on biodiversity. It supports farmers or farm group managers to decide which measures to implement to improve biodiversity on the ground and allows transparent communication on the actual progress made.

The BPT has been adopted to the Vietnamese context and applied on different 4C certified farms to evaluate the biodiversity situation and set up and implement biodiversity action plans. 

1. Phase – Adaptation of the BPT to the Vietnamese context and testing of its implementation
2. Phase – Upscaling through the elaboration and implementation of Biodiversity Action Plan(s) (BAP) on a landscape level
3. Phase – Support of market access
4. Phase – Dissemination and anchoring of results

ADC has adopted the BPT to the Vietnamese context and used it during their farm visits in January 2021 to conduct a baseline evaluation and identify the potential for biodiversity improvement. Currently, the selected biodiversity improvement measures are being implemented and monitored. An evaluation is foreseen to be conducted by the end of this year, and the BPT will be further adjusted to be appropriable to be used on a landscape level in Vietnam coffee cultivation. “We are proud to be a partner in this project, involving some of our farms to test the Biodiversity Performance Tool and to learn about possibilities to improve the biodiversity situation within our supplying farms, with the aim to disseminate this knowledge throughout the region for a wider positive impact on biodiversity”, confirms Certification department at Vinh Hiep Gia Lai Co., Ltd. The BPT will provide coffee farmers in Vietnam with a practicable tool to support them in their biodiversity enhancement endeavors.

Expected project results

• Invaluable benefits for farmers in terms of training, acquiring support and know-how on developing biodiversity action plans and in-kind support for implementing improvement measures
• Improved coffee farming practices that support conservation of biodiversity and lead to better productivity and greater profitability for farmers
• More biodiverse coffee regions due to the implementation of biodiversity-friendly coffee production on various farms
• Increased awareness at local, regional, and national level on the benefits of biodiversity conservation within coffee plantations
• Improved market links between coffee farmers producing biodiversity-friendly coffee and responsible markets in Europe