Around 19,000 coffee farmers in Vietnam have adopted the international4C (Common Code for Coffee Community) standards for sustainableproduction and trading with assistance from authorities and food giantNestle.

The number is up 51 percent year-on-year, according to areport on their programme dubbed NESCAFE Plan by Nestle Vietnam andWestern Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute.

Inthe last three years, they have organised 923 training courses forfarmers in Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong provinces in modern methodsto lower their costs and improve their skills.

The programme has also offered technical assistance to 31,000 farmers.

LeQuang Dung, a coffee farmer in Dak Nong province's Dak Wer commune,said by taking part in the programme and training courses, farmers likehim have progressively improved their practices so that they can growproduce meeting international standards.

Around 20,000 hectares have been certified as adopting 4C standards, twice last year's figure under the programme.

These standards have enabled Vietnamese farmers to sell their coffee at higher prices in the world market.
The standards, developed by the Germany-based 4C Association,are a set of social, environmental, and economic principles that farmersmust comply with to progressively improve sustainability.

Compliance helps them also increase output and protect the environment.

Coffeeis one of Vietnam's key agricultural exports, with 90 per cent of theoutput being shipped abroad, according to the Vietnam Coffee and CocoaAssociation. The country exported 1.66 million tonnes of coffee for 3.4billion USD this year, an increase of 17.2 percent in volume and 12.5percent in value.-VNA