ICRAF conducts research in 30 countries around the world on the diverse roles of trees. Their research focuses on livelihood improvement, climate change adaptation and mitigation, land restoration, and partnerships for sustainable development. In Vietnam, ICRAF studies agroforestry systems combining coffee with trees like acacia, teak, and macadamia that provide benefits like increased coffee yields, soil erosion reduction, and early financial returns. Research also examines the drivers of forest conversion to coffee plantations and how to promote more sustainable practices through policies, gender training, and agroforestry systems. ICRAF works to transform lives and landscapes through research on trees.

1. TRANSFORMING
LIVES and LANDSCAPES
with TREES
Delia C. Catacutan, PhD
Country Representative
Viet Nam Country Office
Southeast Asia Regional Programme

2. Who are we?
ICRAF is part of
the alliance of the
Consultative
Group on
International
Agricultural
Research (CGIAR)
• Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya
• Conducts research in 30 countries around
the developing world
• We generate knowledge about the diverse
roles that trees play in agricultural and
forested landscapes
• We use research to advance policies and
practices that benefit the poor and the
environment

3. Livelihood improvement
Climate change adaptation and mitigation
Land restoration and ecosystem services
Partnerships for sustainable
development
Our research themes

4. Coffee research in Vietnam
• Agroforestry for livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Northwest
Vietnam (2011-2016)
• Market-based agroforestry and forest rehabilitation options for
Northwest Vietnam (2017-2021)
• Gender, land use and land use change in Vietnam: Coffee as
commodity driver of land use change in the Central Highlands of
Vietnam (July-December 2015) with IIED
• BREEDSCAFS (led by CIRAD) (2017-2019)

5. On-farm trials: Agroforestry systems with coffee
Acacia-longan-coffee-soybeans-forage grass Teak-plum-coffee-soybeans-forage grass
Macadamia-coffee-
soybeans

6. Some results
Coffee yield:
• Teak-plum-coffee-soybeans-forage grass: 2.2 tons in the 3rd year or 13.2 million VND ha-1
• Acacia-longan-coffee-soybeans-forage grass: 4.7 tons in the 3rd year
• Macadamia-coffee-soybean: 4.2 and 4.3 tons in the 3rd and 4th year
Benefits from leguminous species:
• Early returns to investment and help improve soil fertility
• Yield: 50 -100 kg ha-1, contributing 1 -3 million VND ha-1
Soil erosion reduction:
• Up to 23% in the teak-plum-coffee-soybeans-forage grass system the 2nd year
• Up to 90% in the acacia-longan-coffee-forage grass systems in the 3rd year

7. Land use, gender and coffee value chain
Objectives:
1. Understand the drivers of forest conversion into coffee
2. Describe the coffee value chain, as forest change driver
3. Understand how men and women participate in, and benefit from coffee value
chains
4. Examine the trade-offs of forest conversion to coffee plantations, in the
context of REDD+
Key recommendations:
• Strict enforcement of land use policies, particularly expansion in forest lands
and in critical watersheds
• Focus on value-addition and improving quality rather than quantity
• Incentives to farmers practicing, and companies supporting sustainable coffee
production (e.g. tax cuts and public recognition)
• Develop gender-specific safeguards such as crop insurance and lower interest
rates, and train women entrepreneurs on price negotiation

8. • Train men and women farmers on sustainable production technologies,
including high-quality seedlings
• Promote coffee-agroforestry systems to diversify products, and spread
risks
• Companies should support farmers in certifying deforestation-free
coffee.
• Strict enforcement of environmental and social impact assessment
procedures.
• Provide government planners with tools and evidence -to make
‘informed’ decisions about managing trade-offs of forest conversion
• For the REDD+ programme to (a) ensure that national and sub-national
REDD+ action plans include specific actions that address drivers of
deforestation and degradation, (b) conduct trade off analysis on forest
conversion to coffee, (c) study the process and benefits of land sharing
approaches, and (d) conduct valuation studies of forest environmental
services to support REDD+ negotiation.

9. Coffee R&D outlook
• Roles of coffee-based agroforestry systems in CC
adaptation and mitigation, landscape restoration;
quantification of multiple benefits e.g., income, carbon,
water etc.
• Integrated tree-crop management in coffee-based
agroforestry systems (e.g., pests and diseases, resource
capture and management, etc.)
• Improved planting materials, varieties, value chain
• Opportunity costs of land use conversion to coffee
• Training

10. Transform lives and landscapes
with trees – with us!
Contact:
Dr. Delia Catacutan
Tel/Fax: +84 4 37834644/45 (24)
d.c.catacutan@cgiar.org
http://worldagroforestry.org/regions/s
outheast_asia/vietnam
Thank You!