Vietnam’s coffee success has come at the cost of decades of deforestation-report

BERLIN, July 23, 2026 — Decades of unchecked deforestation driven by coffee cultivation in Vietnam’s Central Highlands have taken a devastating toll on the country’s forests, according to a new investigation by Coffee Watch, a Berlin-based watchdog organisation.

Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of global Robusta coffee exports.

The investigation, which analysed satellite imagery alongside government data, found that tropical forest cover in the Central Highlands declined dramatically from 42.8 per cent in 1990 to just 19 per cent by 2020. The most extensive forest loss occurred between 1995 and 2010.

Today, the remaining forests are largely confined to higher-altitude, less accessible areas, many of which lie within protected zones. The report attributes much of the deforestation to government policies and international funding that historically encouraged rapid expansion of coffee cultivation across the region.

The large-scale clearing of forests has resulted in fragmented habitats, increased soil erosion and declining soil fertility, forcing many farmers to rely on greater quantities of fertilisers to maintain coffee yields.

According to Coffee Watch, the loss of forest cover has had far-reaching consequences for water regulation, soil stability, carbon storage and pest management. These environmental pressures are being compounded by climate change, with rising temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall threatening the long-term viability of coffee production.

The report warns that up to 50 per cent of Vietnam’s Robusta coffee plantations could become unsuitable for coffee cultivation as climate conditions continue to deteriorate.

Ly Thi Minh Hai of RECOFTC said that while the expansion of coffee farming has been a major driver of forest loss, the priority has now shifted towards improving the productivity and sustainability of existing coffee-growing areas rather than expanding cultivation into forested land.

She stressed the need for farmers to adapt to climate change by rejuvenating ageing coffee trees, integrating shade trees through agroforestry systems to reduce dependence on monoculture, and adopting more efficient water management practices.

RECOFTC is working with local communities to promote agroforestry and strengthen forest tenure rights, measures it says are essential to preventing further deforestation.

Minh Hai said the future of Vietnam’s coffee industry would depend not on expanding the area under cultivation, but on managing existing coffee landscapes more sustainably. She added that the sector has an opportunity to move beyond its legacy of deforestation by embracing production practices that protect forests, preserve biodiversity and support the livelihoods of farming communities.

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