Vietnam is the second largest country of coffee production in the world. Among all kinds of coffee cultivated in various areas of this country extending from north to south, the coffee from Son La Province in the northwest region has been attracting attention thanks to its excellent aroma in recent years.
Since the Vietnamese government called for coffee cultivation as a policy in 1994, the number of coffee farmers has drastically increased as well as the cultivation area. However, farmers have been vulnerable to exploitation at cheap prices due to the instability of the coffee market in addition to a lack of buyers to choose from.
90 percent of the people involved in agriculture in this region are an ethnic minority called the Thai. The Thai are a tribe which protects its traditional culture well by maintaining old practices. For example, women often affix complex hairstyles in which they braid their long hair into a shape similar to a hat.
Ethnic minority communities used to be mostly self-sufficient in each village, but the wave of globalization has swept that era away. As they have built deeper relationships with a monetized economy, these communities have run up debts to pay living expenses or purchase materials and equipment for farming. It is said that 30 to 40 percent of families in this group are in poverty.
Ethnic minorities need to increase their income through agriculture in order to cope with this situation. Using low input agricultural methods and then improving food processing techniques to add value to their products is an effective way to save costs and enhance food security.
In terms of other concerns in this region, we recognize the low literacy levels of women as well as the neglected houses in which some families live in. Not only for economic benefit, but also for improvement of their living condition do, we encourage them to learn better living skills. These issues are vital to ensuring sustainable community development.