The opportunity to become a world coffee power is very close

Along with Brazil, Vietnam is famous as the coffee capital of the world with a worldwide supply output of 1.4-1.5 million tons/year. The scale of Vietnam's coffee industry is at 1.2 billion USD. As for Robusta coffee, Vietnam is the world leader, accounting for 50% of the world's Robusta coffee production. The quality of Vietnamese coffee is high, meeting the strict standards of countries such as the US, EU, Japan... Just looking at these numbers can confirm that Vietnam is a world coffee giant. . However, if "surgery" goes deeper, we can see that this "guy" is hollow and somewhat... vain! "Vietnam accounts for 17.2% of the world's coffee production but the value earned is only is about 2.2%. Low value creation has affected the income and life of coffee farmers," commented Ms. Le Hoang Diep Thao - General Director of TNI Corporation, founder of the King Coffee brand.

Also according to Ms. Diep Thao, with many efforts, Vietnam has risen to become the second largest coffee exporting country in the world and No. 1 in the world in terms of Robusta coffee output. It is truly a "miracle" - miracle as international friends call it, that Vietnam achieved.

However, that miracle only stops at the quantity of production and export thanks to favorable conditions of soil, climate, and labor. In fact, Vietnamese coffee is mainly exported raw (accounting for 91%), bringing the lowest value in the value chain. The total value of the world coffee industry is about 200 billion USD, while currently Vietnam earns just over 3 billion USD each year from raw exports. “Ranking 2nd in the world, Vietnam only accounts for more than 1% of the total value of the entire industry globally. That is a real pity, because we have not built a brand to increase added value and be able to participate in the global value chain. Currently, we still have too few "Made in Vietnam" coffee brands that can reach the world," Ms. Diep Thao - "female general" of the Vietnamese Coffee industry frankly admitted.

Ms. Diep Thao pointed out the paradox: the world currently has about 4 billion people drinking coffee. In every cup of coffee they drink every day, Vietnamese Robusta coffee is used, but few of them know this. It can be said that, ranked second in the world in coffee exports and number one in the world in robusta coffee exports, Vietnamese coffee is still unknown to world consumers. That is heartbreaking for those who are passionate about the Vietnamese coffee industry.

“This is something I have kept close to my heart for more than 20 years. That's why I dedicate all my enthusiasm to building a Vietnamese coffee brand capable of reaching out to the world and competing with multinational coffee brands," said businesswoman Diep Thao - founder Establishing a coffee brand King Coffee confided.

“What products do we have that international friends immediately think of when mentioning Vietnam? While Thailand has rice, Germany has heavy industry, Japan has consumer electronics, Korea has ginseng..., we also need to think of something typical for Vietnam. Only when world consumers know they are drinking coffee grown in Vietnam, then will we be worthy of the title of world coffee power," Ms. Diep Thao emphasized.

According to the September 2018 report of the International Coffee Organization (ICO), over the past 30 years, global coffee consumption has grown steadily at about 2%/year, and it is expected that by 2024 it will reach a growth rate of 8% per year. ,4 years. By 2050, global consumption is estimated to reach 20 million tons - 25 million tons/year, 3 times higher than today. This will be a golden opportunity for Vietnam in the coming years, requiring Vietnamese producers and exporters to act quickly and firmly, while building a brand for Vietnamese coffee in the international market. economy, especially in areas of major consumption points such as North America, Western Europe and China.

According to Ms. Diep Thao, to do that, it is necessary to correctly and fully recognize the value of coffee beans. From tangible and intangible values, coffee can truly be considered a natural treasure given to people and to Vietnam. Not every country can grow coffee and not every country can grow coffee of good quality like Vietnamese coffee. Our country is fortunate to own this "treasure" and is in the leading position in terms of output, so Vietnam should place the true value of this type of agricultural product in the position of a key economic sector.

Currently, there are about 4 billion people drinking coffee worldwide, regardless of gender, age, culture, region... If considered from the perspective of Vietnam's economy, from rice, seafood, minerals, petroleum, electronics, mechanics...., there is hardly any product that can compete in the world market with coffee. Coffee is the "soul", worthy of being an "ambassador" of Vietnam to introduce to international friends. Only when the potential value is properly assessed and coffee is identified as a key economic sector will we have appropriate policies to create a name for Vietnam on the world coffee map. “The path to building a world-class brand will be much more difficult but it will be long-term and sustainable, not only bringing more turnover from exports but also affirming Vietnam's position and reputation in the world. world. Therefore, we are trying to submit to the Government a strategy for developing Vietnam's coffee industry to truly connect and support each other from 3 resources: the state, businesses and workers" - CEO of TNI Corporation Le Hoang Diep Thao affirmed.