Key factors boosting sustainable tea production in Vietnam’s Central Highland

Abstract

Tea production is a long-lasting pillar of Vietnam’s rural economy and a key export commodity, yet it faces persistent challenges related to conventional farming methods, limited certification uptake, and low value addition. This case study, conducted within the EU-funded Trade4Sustainable Development project (TRADE4SD), examines the determinants of sustainable practice adoption, namely composting and intercropping, in the Central Highlands region, a major hub accounting for over 20% of national production. Data were collected through a quantitative survey for a sample of 105 smallholder farmers and through a qualitative one for a group of five policy makers and farmers’ organizations representatives. Quantitative data have been analysed through descriptive statistics and a binary logistic model, whereas content analysis has been used for qualitative ones. Results show that farm size, private buyers and gender are significant predictors of sustainable practices adoption. Larger farms and sales to private buyers substantially increase adoption odds, while women farmers emerge as more likely adopters than men. Conversely, older age, farm ownership, and orientation toward international markets negatively influence adoption, mainly due to financial constraints and the perceived burden of stringent environmental standards. Cooperative membership and certification remain partial, limiting farmers’ capacity to benefit from higher-value markets. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, including technical training, financial support, and cooperative strengthening. Within this framework, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) could provide important incentives, provided that capacity-building measures address persistent barriers and empower women as key actors of sustainability. By offering empirical evidence from primary field data, this study contributes to the literature on sustainable tea farming practices in Vietnam and provides policy-relevant insights for advancing a sustainable and just transition.