Coffee production is central to Viet Nam’s socio-economic development, employing over 600,000 farmers directly and supporting more than 2.6 million jobs. It is also, however, highly resource and emission-intensive, contributing significantly to the agriculture sector’s GHG emissions. In 2024, the total plantation area for coffee in Viet Nam was 718,000 hectares, producing more than 1.95 million tons annually (MAE, 2025). Given that most Vietnamese coffee production uses dry processing, and assuming that each kilogram of green beans generates a nearly equivalent weight of dry husks, an estimated 1.6 million tons of dry husks are produced annually, representing a valuable resource for high-quality fertilizer. CE models in the coffee sector can simultaneously reduce emissions, recycle waste, improve soil health, and enhance climate resilience, as illustrated in the Central Highlands and Northern provinces. Examples and best practices exist and must be scaled up.

Prepared in close collaboration with IPSAE (Institute of Policy and Strategy for Environment, Viet Nam), this Handbook, therefore, presents four high-impact CE models for coffee production, validated with expert interviews and field visits: intercropping with avocado, durian, persimmon, pepper, and macadamia; producing organic fertilizer from coffee husks; improving small-scale wastewater treatment; and improving large-scale biog as wastewater treatment. The handbook presents technical guidance and detailed steps and photos to guide farmers and cooperatives in applying these practices. Adopting these models can reduce the carbon footprint of coffee production and minimise pollution from waste and wastewater, directly supporting Viet Nam’s climate commitments. Further, these models can enhance farm profitability by lowering chemical fertilizer use, boosting yields, and diversifying income sources, with additional social and environmental co-benefits, including stronger community engagement in resource stewardship and more resilient farming systems.

This work is supported by the Building Circularity into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - A Practical Toolbox (CE-NDC Toolbox), co-developed by UNDP, UNEP’s One Planet Network, and the UNFCCC secretariat. Viet Nam is one of seven countries that are currently implementing the CE-NDC Toolbox around the world.