A local farmer collects coffee beans in Quảng Sơn Commune of the Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông. The multi-ethnic community's organic coffee has earned brand recognition. — Photo courtesy of Dano Farm

The National Office of Intellectual Property of Việt Nam has recognised the brand ownership for the products of Rock Way coffee and macadamias grown by Dano Farm – the first green agro-forestry cooperative of a multi-ethnic community in Quảng Sơn Commune in the Central Highlands.

Director of Dano Farm Tạ Thị Liên talked to Việt Nam News, stating that the brand was built over three years and aims to boost sustainable and high-value crops for the community of 41 ethnic groups.

Liên said the multi-ethnic community had grown 117ha of coffee, of which 5ha was an organic farming practice by 37 households and sandwiched between a macadamia area from 2018. The area also has 42ha of mulberry cultivation used to feed silkworms.

Organic coffee beans are processed at the Dano Farm cooperative in Đắk Nông Province. The cooperative wants to export the product to Europe and Japan. — Photo courtesy of Dano Farm

She said the organic Rock Way coffee brand has attained UTZ certification, which was launched to bring high-quality products to the global market and spread the impact of sustainable farming practices.

She said the ethnic community began growing macadamia nuts to create a green canopy for coffee trees, and they used fermented fruit, fish and silkworm waste to fertilise the coffee instead of chemicals.

The Dano Farm cooperative plans to expand the green agro-forestry model to 2,500ha in the next five years as an ecology-based farming model with low-carbon crops.

Rock Way coffee is introduced at an agriculture fair in Đắk Nông Province. It's the first recognised brand of the ethnic community in Quảng Sơn Commune. — Photo courtesy of Tạ Thị Liên

Liên said Dano Farm will begin weaving silk in a traditional method to boost the brand's recognition in the coming years, paving a smooth path for export.

She said the cooperative has been seeking partners in Europe and Japan as two key export markets in the future.

According to the management board of the UNESCO-recognised Đắk Nông Global Geopark, organic coffee and craft products will be included in the park’s local partnership system as the community is located in the area of the Geopark.

The Central Highlands province has developed 135,572ha of coffee farms with an output of 332,620 tonnes per year, earning an export turnover of US$148 million from 102,000 tonnes. — VNS