Hanoi: Decades of coffee driven expansion have contributed to extensive deforestation in Vietnam Central Highlands, with tropical forest cover in the region declining from 42.8% in 1990 to 19% in 2020 according to a new investigation by Berlin based watchdog Coffee Watch.
Vietnam, the world’s second largest coffee producer and supplier of nearly 40% of global Robusta coffee exports, grows about 95% of its coffee in the Central Highlands. The report, based on satellite imagery and government records, found that forest loss accelerated between 1995 and 2010 before stabilizing at lower levels in the 2020s. Most remaining tropical forests are now restricted to higher elevations, steep terrain and protected areas.
Coffee Watch said historical government policies and international development financing encouraged rapid coffee cultivation, resulting in widespread habitat fragmentation, soil erosion and declining soil fertility. The report also linked deforestation to disruptions in water flow, groundwater recharge, carbon storage and ecosystem stability.
The investigation warned that climate change could further threaten coffee production, estimating that up to 50% of Vietnam’s Robusta growing belt may become unsuitable for cultivation because of rising temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall.
Ly Thi Minh Hai, Vietnam Country Director at environmental organisation RECOFTC, acknowledged that coffee expansion had historically been a major driver of forest loss in parts of the Central Highlands. However, she said the sector is now focusing on improving the productivity, resilience and sustainability of existing plantations rather than expanding cultivation into forested areas.
She said farmers need greater support to adapt to climate change through measures such as replanting ageing coffee trees, adopting agroforestry with shade trees, improving water use efficiency and implementing climate smart and regenerative farming practices.
RECOFTC is also working with local communities to promote agroforestry and strengthen forest tenure, helping reduce pressure on remaining forests. Minh Hai emphasized that the future of Vietnam’s coffee sector should be defined by sustainable production and improved resilience rather than continued land expansion.