10. Vietnam – Son La G1

Son La lies in the mountainous north of Vietnam, a country internationally better known for Robusta than Arabica.

The region is famous for tea production, but its higher mountain areas also provide unusually good conditions for Arabica coffee.

Many Son La farms sit around 1,000 metres or higher, considerably above the elevations found across much of Vietnam’s Central Plateau. Fertile soils and pronounced temperature differences between day and night can help coffee cherries develop more slowly and evenly.

Coffee cultivation in the area dates back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when coffee was introduced to northern Vietnam under French colonial rule.

In recent decades Son La has developed into one of Vietnam’s most significant Arabica producing areas.

The Son La Coffee Association was established in 2017 to help develop and promote a more sustainable regional coffee industry.

Coffee has played an increasingly important role in improving rural incomes, although farmers have historically faced significant challenges. Many sold coffee simply as a raw commodity at relatively low prices, while ageing trees, limited processing equipment and restricted access to finance affected productivity. The geography creates another challenge. Coffee farms are spread across steep mountain terrain and motorbikes are often used to move harvested coffee.

Investment by cooperatives and development organisations has increasingly focused on improving agronomy, replacing ageing trees, strengthening climate resilience and teaching farmers how better processing and quality control can increase the value of their crop.

G1 lot comes from various estates in Son La and the coffee is polished during processing, removing remaining silverskin and creating a more consistent finished green coffee.