Vietnam and Uganda step up South-South cooperation on sustainable and resilient coffee
For the first time, two of the world's leading Robusta-producing countries have committed to working together on resilient, deforestation-free coffee value chains, with IDH facilitating the partnership.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam (MAE) - represented by Department of International Cooperation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda - represented by the Coffee Department, and IDH today set out a shared intention to cooperate on sustainable, resilient and deforestation-free coffee – deepening South-South cooperation between two of the world’s leading Robusta origins: Vietnam, the world's largest Robusta producer, and Uganda, Africa's leading coffee exporter. As part of this cooperation, IDH connects producing countries with global markets, helping origins meet the requirements of international legislations while also delivering on the sustainability commitments sought by international buyers, particularly on environmental protection and farmer incomes.
The five-year cooperation builds on the two countries' 2019 bilateral agriculture Memorandum of Understanding. It sets out a shared direction with specific activities to follow through joint work plans - across policy and technical exchange, peer learning and study visits, business linkages, resource mobilisation, and joint work, including collaboration linked to IDH's Resilient Coffee Program.
This cooperation is ultimately about creating a better future for coffee farmers in Vietnam and Uganda. It builds on Vietnam’s experience in sustainable coffee production, where most coffee producers earn incomes well above living income benchmarks, and on strong public-private collaboration to meet market requirements. By sharing these lessons and practical approaches, the partnership seeks to help farmers adapt to climate change, safeguard productivity, meet the standards increasingly expected by international markets, and seize new market opportunities. In doing so, it supports the development of resilient coffee value chains aligned with international requirements, including the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), while making coffee farming a more secure and rewarding livelihood for the next generation of growers in both countries.
"Vietnam has spent nearly four decades continuously building and innovating to become one of the world's leading coffee producing and exporting countries. We are always ready to share our experience with other coffee-growing countries. The cooperation with the Government of Uganda, especially under RCP provides a great opportunity for us to learn from one another and combine our respective strengths towards a shared goal: securing a sustainable and resilient coffee supply for the global market." – said Mr. Pham Ngoc Mau, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam.
"Coffee is central to the livelihoods of millions of Ugandan farmers, and their future depends on achieving the right balance of productivity, sustainability, and resilience. Cooperation with Vietnam and IDH gives us the opportunity to learn from trusted partners and strengthen our path towards a resilient, deforestation-free coffee sector.", stated by Horn. Frank Tumwebaze, Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda.
Daan Wensing, CEO, IDH, said: "It's inspiring to see two of the world's leading coffee producers coming together to secure the future of coffee farming in a rapidly changing world. This partnership sets an example for how countries can take control and make sure their farmers, and their food systems, are resilient and future-proof. This also gives private sector the confidence to invest – turning resilience from a development goal into a genuine business proposition and a core part of how coffee value chain partners do business."
IDH will contribute as a facilitating and technical partner, including through its Resilient Coffee Program, by supporting technical exchange, shared learning, and the development of future areas of collaboration. The partnership is also expected to catalyse public and private investment in resilient coffee value chains, leveraging government commitment, development finance, and private-sector co-investment to scale impact in both countries.