The pilot project on 1 hectare of coffee aims to optimize irrigation and fertilization, improve resource use efficiency, and promote sustainable production in Vietnam.
On August 19, at Thiskyhall Sala Convention Center (HCMC), Priva Horticulture B.V. (the Netherlands), Golden Gate BCE GLOBAL Group (the Netherlands), and Natural Science Company (HUSCO) under the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, signed a Cooperation Agreement (CA) to pilot a precision irrigation and fertigation model for sustainable coffee production in Vietnam.
According to the agreement, the project is scheduled to be implemented on an area of approximately 1 hectare of coffee in Son La, one of Vietnam’s key Arabica coffee growing regions. The project aims to monitor water resources and nutritional status, thereby precisely controlling the amount of water and nutrients delivered to the plant root zone, enhancing resource efficiency, and establishing a technical basis for scaling up the model.
Representatives of the three parties sign a cooperation agreement to pilot a precision irrigation and fertigation model for sustainable coffee production in Vietnam. Photo: HUSCO.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Anh, Director of HUSCO, stated that this cooperation agreement is of great significance, serving as a concrete step in realizing the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by HUSCO and Golden Gate BCE GLOBAL in early July. Through this, the parties continue to demonstrate their capability and proactivity in seeking opportunities to develop joint collaborative projects.
In the context of climate change, declining water resources, and the demand for transitioning toward precision, resource-efficient agriculture, the technological system is expected to help optimize water and fertilizer use while contributing to enhancing coffee quality. Precisely controlling moisture and nutrients at the root zone can support the improvement of bean quality, accelerating the transition from quantity-focused to quality-focused production, thereby increasing product value and better meeting the requirements of international markets.
Notably, the system also supports monitoring and controlling carbon emissions during farming, while being piloted to monitor water footprints—indicators increasingly emphasized by European markets in sustainable agricultural supply chains.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Anh, proactively integrating and testing these monitoring tools will help the parties anticipate trends in the European market, where requirements for environmental transparency, emissions reduction, and efficient resource use are increasingly becoming essential conditions for market access.
Under the partnership, Priva Horticulture B.V. assumes the role of technology partner, providing precision irrigation and fertigation solutions, control systems, sensors, and monitoring equipment, while providing technical and agronomic support during implementation. Golden Gate BCE GLOBAL oversees project coordination, management, and stakeholder engagement. HUSCO is in charge of implementation supervision, coordinating pilot site arrangements, technical personnel, and research; formulating evaluation metrics, collecting data, and assessing the model’s scalability.
The agreement is expected to pave the way for introducing advanced agricultural technology from Europe into actual coffee production in Vietnam, contributing to efficient resource utilization, climate change adaptation, and enhancing the sustainability of the coffee industry.
Minh Hạnh
