According to mard.gov.vn
The workshop was co-chaired by Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and Ms. Tran Quynh Chi, Director of Palm Oil and Coffee, IDH. Representatives of the Delegation of the European Union (EU), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Swiss Federal Economic Directorate (SECO), governments, central level departments and provinces of the Central Highlands, associations and businesses The coffee industry, domestic and international development organizations attended the ceremony online.
The Anti-Deforestation and Forest Degradation Regulation (EUDR) issued by the EU in June 2023 sets strict requirements on information transparency, traceability and commitment to no deforestation or forest degradation. in the agricultural product supply chain includes 7 industries, including 3 key export industries of Vietnam including coffee, wood and rubber. Complying with the EUDR is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for Vietnam’s key agricultural export industries to enhance their reputation, value and position in the international arena. For the coffee industry, one of the key solutions to comply with EUDR is to build a complete, accurate and transparent Forest and Coffee Growing Area Database system.
Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) spoke at the transfer ceremony
Sharing at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said: With the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the close coordination of the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development Rural Development in Dak Lak and Lam Dong provinces, the technical and financial support of international organizations such as IDH, and the active participation of businesses and farmers, the pilot program has completed its tasks. important goal including EUDR-compliant coffee growing area and forest database system in 4 pilot districts. This is one of the effective tools for us to prove to international partners that Vietnamese coffee is a product not related to deforestation, meeting EUDR requirements; increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese coffee in the international arena. This database system does not stop at meeting EUDR regulations but is ready to be expanded to other industries such as rubber, pepper, durian, etc. This is also an important step in improving management efficiency. forest resources and sustainable agricultural development.
With the mobilization of available resources and data from all parties, including the public sector, private sector and coffee farmers, the Coffee Forest and Coffee Growing Area Database System was built in a cost-effective manner. The system provides a unified cadastral code for each garden and farmer, along with detailed information about the crops. Thanks to that, the system achieves high synchronization and completely meets the requirements for information explanation and traceability according to EUDR regulations.
Ms. Tran Quynh Chi, Director of Coffee and Palm Oil Industry (IDH) spoke
According to Ms. Tran Quynh Chi, Director of Coffee and Palm Oil (IDH), the EUDR-compliant forest and coffee growing area database system is the result after more than 1 year of testing in Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces. . In particular, information and databases have been collected on 130,000 hectares of forest and 136,000 hectares of coffee in the 4 largest coffee producing districts in Lam Dong and Dak Lak. Gia Lai province is the third province to participate in the database collection project, combining the use of the national database system to continue collecting data for 30,000 hectares of forests and 4,000 hectares of coffee.
“IDH is very proud to play a leading role in developing this database system, which is an important foundation in building a sustainable supply chain for the Vietnamese coffee industry. We call for Stakeholders not only continue to share and supplement data to build a complete national database system, updated annually, but also take advantage of this database to evaluate and develop data. Deploy risk mitigation strategies and proactively respond to requirements new demands from the international market such as low emissions, prosperity of farmers and not causing deforestation”, Ms. Tran Quynh Chi shared.
In November 2024, the European Union announced its decision to delay the application of EUDR to December 2025. According to Ms. Mara Grimminger, Assistant for International Relations, Directorate General for Environment, European Commission, speaking at the ceremony, the launch of the Coffee Growing Region and Forest Database System marks an important step towards EUDR compliance in Vietnam. The proposed extension is intended to ensure that industries and global partners, such as Vietnam, are fully prepared before the Regulation takes effect, facilitating a smooth implementation process. shared and effective. This opportunity needs to be taken advantage of to prepare, implement specific actions and effectively meet the requirements of the EUDR, paving the way for a sustainable future of Vietnam’s coffee industry.”
The expansion phase from January 2025 will focus on piloting and replicating the coffee traceability system from farmers to district and provincial levels, while upgrading infrastructure, integrating information on growing areas and linking information. Connected to the national database of the crop industry managed and operated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Activities will continue to be carried out through public-private cooperation between governments at all levels, businesses, farmers and international organizations.
Mr. Kaj van de Vorstenbosch, Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, said that the effective implementation of EUDR in Vietnam is important in ensuring access to the EU market, including the EU market. Dutch market, while promoting sustainable and deforestation-free production. The development of this database system is an important step in this process, providing an effective and comprehensive solution to support transparency, smallholder participation and responsiveness. Meet requirements at low cost. With the close partnership between the Netherlands and Vietnam in the agricultural sector, we, through the public-private role of organizations like IDH, can promote meaningful progress, ensuring a sustainable future for Vietnam’s coffee industry.
At the ceremony, the EUDR Adaptation Cooperation Group officially handed over the Forest and Coffee Growing Area Database System to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for replication to other coffee production areas and affected industries. different across the country.
