The workshop on the implementation of the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C) sustainability concept in the Vietnamese coffee sector, kicked off on April 26, was jointly held by the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (VICOFA) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The 4C initiative was first applied in Vietnam from May 2003. 

According to Doan Trieu Nhan, Vice Chairman of VICOFA, during the last two years the Common Code has become a very valuable instrument to move the Vietnamese coffee market towards even more sustainable growth.

"Thus, 4C can play a role in the long term stabilization of coffee quality in production, aiming at improving the social and ecological conditions in coffee regions of Vietnam," said Nhan.

Speaking at the workshop, Le Hung Quoc, Head of the Cultivation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnam at present has a coffee area of 491,400 hectares, accounting for 4.7 percent of the global coffee-growing area, with an output of about 767,000 tonnes, equal to 10 percent of the world's total output.

Vietnam is one of the world largest robusta coffee producers.