Does sustainability certification improve productivity or expand production scale? Evidence from certified coffee systems in Vietnam’s central highlands

Main Article Content

Does sustainability certification improve productivity or expand production scale? Evidence from certified coffee systems in Vietnam’s central highlands

Author

Phan Thị Thúy
Lê Thị Hoàng Oanh

Abstract

This paper looks at the employment situation of graduates from Tay Nguyen University in the 2023–2025 period, and proposed solutions to improve graduate employment rates. We used a descriptive survey method and analyzed data trends. The results show that the employment rate of graduates ranged from 84.4% to 87.1%. The proportion of graduates working in their trained fields increased from 82.7% to 89.3%, and average monthly income rose from 5.6 million to 6.7 million VND. Tay Nguyen University plays an important role in supplying skilled human resources for the Central Highlands provinces. That said, the university needs to strengthen practical training and fieldwork, invest in facilities, and update its curriculum to close the gap between theory and practice, thereby better meeting the demands of the labor market.

Article Details

How to Cite
Phan Thị Thúy, & Lê Thị Hoàng Oanh. (2026). Does sustainability certification improve productivity or expand production scale? Evidence from certified coffee systems in Vietnam’s central highlands. Tay Nguyen Journal of Sciences, 20(3), 93–101. Retrieved from https://tckhtn.ttn.edu.vn/index.php/tckh/article/view/738
Section
Khoa học Xã hội & Nhân văn
Author Biography

Lê Thị Hoàng Oanh, Certification Department, CAFECONTROL

Certification Department, CAFECONTROL;
Corresponding author: Le Thi Hoang Oanh; Email: lehoangoanh159@gmail.com.

References

  • C Services GmbH (2020). 4C Code of Conduct Version 4.0. Cologne: 4C Services GmbH.
  • C Services GmbH (2024). 4C Code of Conduct Version 4.1. Cologne: 4C Services GmbH.
  • Blackman, A., and Rivera, J. (2011). Producer-level benefits of sustainability certification. Conservation Biology, 25(6), 1176–1185. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01774.x
  • Bray, J. G., and Neilson, J. (2017). Reviewing the impacts of coffee certification programmes on smallholder livelihoods. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services and Management, 13(1), 216–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/21513732.2017.1316520
  • Dang, D. C., Do, X. H., and To, X. P. (2025). Coffee sector in Vietnam: Current state and key policy aspects. Available at: https://mkresourcesgovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Coffee-sector-in-Vietnam_current-state-and-key-policy-aspects-1.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2026)
  • Dietz, T., Grabs, J., and Estrella Chong, A. (2018). Mainstreamed voluntary sustainability standards and their effectiveness: Evidence from the coffee sector. Regulation & Governance, 12(2), 180–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/rego.12167
  • Dragusanu, R., Giovannucci, D., and Nunn, N. (2014). The economics of Fairtrade. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 28(3), 217–236. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.28.3.217
  • Estrella, A., Navichoc, D., Kilian, B., and Dietz, T. (2022). Impact pathways of sustainability standards on coffee producers. World Development Perspectives, 27, 100435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2022.100435
  • European Commission (2023). Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products. Brussels: European Commission.
  • FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). (2021). FAOSTAT Database. Available at: https://www.fao.org/faostat (Accessed: 25 March 2026)
  • Gather, J., and Wollni, M. (2022). Rainforest Alliance certification and farmer outcomes. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 44(4), 1807–1825. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13307
  • General Statistics Office of Vietnam (2023). Statistical Yearbook of Vietnam 2023. Hanoi: Statistical Publishing House.
  • Giovannucci, D., and Ponte, S. (2005). Standards as a new form of social contract? Sustainability initiatives in the coffee industry. Food Policy, 30(3), 284–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2005.05.007
  • Grabs, J. (2020). Selling Sustainability Short? The Private Governance of Labor and the Environment in the Coffee Sector. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Hayami, Y., and Ruttan, V. W. (1985). Agricultural Development: An International Perspective. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Ho, T.Q., Hoang, V.N., Wilson, C., and Nguyen, T.T. (2020). Which farming systems are efficient for Vietnamese coffee farmers? Economic Analysis and Policy, 66, 114–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2020.02.002
  • Ho, T. Q., Hoang, V. N., and Wilson, C. (2022). Sustainability certification and water efficiency in coffee farming. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 180, 106175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106175
  • Ho, T. Q., Hoang, V. N., Wilson, C., and Nguyen, T. T. (2018). Eco-efficiency analysis of sustainability-certified coffee production in Vietnam. Journal of Cleaner Production, 183, 251–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.147
  • Ibanez, M., and Blackman, A. (2016). Is Eco-Certification a Win–Win for Developing Country Agriculture? World Development, 82, 14–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.01.004
  • ICO (International Coffee Organization). (2023). Coffee Market Report. London: International Coffee Organization.
  • Jena, P. R., Chichaibelu, B., Stellmacher, T., and Grote, U. (2012). The impact of coffee certification on small-scale producers’ livelihoods. Agricultural Economics, 43(4), 429–440. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2012.00598.x
  • Lambin, E. F. et al. (2018). The role of supply-chain initiatives in reducing deforestation. Nature Climate Change, 8, 109–116. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-017-0061-1
  • Loconto, A., and Dankers, C. (2014). Impact of international voluntary standards on smallholder market participation. Rome: FAO.
  • Meemken, E.-M. (2020). Do smallholder farmers benefit from sustainability standards? A systematic review. Global Food Security, 26, 100373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100373
  • MARD (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). (2022). Report on sustainable coffee development in Vietnam. Hanoi: MARD.
  • Nguyen, T. T., Savenije, H. H. G., and Hoekstra, A. Y. (2019). The water footprint of coffee production in Vietnam. Journal of Cleaner Production, 231, 299–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.205
  • Panhuysen, S., and Pierrot, J. (2020). Coffee Barometer 2020. Available at: https://www.coffeebarometer.org (Accessed: 25 March 2026)
  • Pingali, P. L. (2007). Agricultural mechanization: Adoption patterns and economic impact. In R. E. Evenson & P. L. Pingali (Eds.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics (Vol. 3, pp. 2779–2805). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
  • Ponte, S. (2002). The ‘Latte Revolution’? Regulation, Markets and Consumption in the Global Coffee Chain. World Development, 30(7), 1099–1122. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(02)00032-3
  • Rainforest Alliance (2020). Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, Version 1.0. New York: Rainforest Alliance.
  • Rainforest Alliance (2025). Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, Version 1.4. New York: Rainforest Alliance.
  • Raynolds, L. T., Murray, D., and Heller, A. (2007). Regulating sustainability in the coffee sector: A comparative analysis of third-party certification initiatives. Agriculture and Human Values, 24(2), 147–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-006-9047-8
  • Ruben, R., and Fort, R. (2012). The Impact of Fairtrade Certification for Coffee Farmers in Peru. World Development, 40(3), 570–582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.07.030
  • van Rijsbergen, B., Elbers, W., Ruben, R., and Njuguna, S. N. (2016). The Ambivalent Impact of Coffee Certification on Farmers’ Welfare. World Development, 77, 277–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.08.021
  • WASI (Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute). (2021). Overview of coffee production systems in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Dak Lak: WASI.