Urawadee Sriphiromya, Thai Ambassador to Việt Nam (third from left); Camila Polo Florez, Colombodian Ambassador to Việt Nam (centre); and Saadi Salama, Ambassador of Palestine to Việt Nam (fifth from left), experience indigenous coffee culture in a coffee garden in Đắc Lắc. — Photo doanhnghiepkinhtexanh.vn

ĐẮK LẮK — The World Coffee Heritage Forum, held from April 17 to 19 at the World Coffee Museum in Đắk Lắk Province, underscored coffee as a “living heritage” capable of connecting people, communities and civilisations, and fostering harmony, creativity and sustainable development.

The forum, co-organised by the provincial People’s Committee, UNESCO, the HCM University of Culture, and Trung Nguyên Legend Group, under the theme “From Diverse Traditions to a Living Global Heritage,” brought together policymakers, scholars and industry leaders to explore coffee as a shared cultural legacy of humanity.

It also attracted a wide array of participants, including representatives of ministries, ambassadors and consuls general from major coffee-producing nations, representatives from international organisations, and cultural experts.

According to Đào Mỹ, Vice Chairman of the Đắk Lắk People's Committee, the province is known as the 'capital' of Vietnamese coffee, with rich, fertile basalt red soil ideal for agriculture.

The coffee provides livelihoods for thousands of locals and has developed a unique cultural space, closely tied to the socioeconomic life, customs and identity of local communities.

The recognition of "The knowledge of coffee cultivation and processing in Đắk Lắk” as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage marks an important milestone. It affirms the value of indigenous knowledge, creative labour, and the harmonious connection between local livelihoods, culture and nature in the Central Highlands.

The event provided an opportunity to support the province in guiding the development of a UNESCO nomination dossier for the region's coffee cultivation and processing knowledge, fostering cross-sector cooperation and promoting the development of a coffee brand with a distinct local identity.

Addressing the forum, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ commended Đắk Lắk for its efforts to promote the traditional values and coffee culture of the locality as a resource for national sustainable development. He noted that introducing Đắk Lắk’s knowledge of coffee cultivation and processing to the international community not only helps showcase the land and people of the Central Highlands, but also fosters intercultural dialogue and enhances the added value of Việt Nam’s coffee industry. This, he added, will gradually contribute to establishing a distinct position for Vietnamese coffee on the global coffee map. — VNA/VNS