Research need
The Central Highlands of Vietnam are crucial for international trade in black pepper and robusta coffee, as well as a growing source of fruit for domestic markets. The region is gaining importance as a source of fruit for domestic markets and is also a priority area for ACIAR, where smallholder farmers predominantly belong to ethnic minority groups and poverty rates are high. While coffee, black pepper and fruit tree production systems provide promising livelihood options, current agronomic practices in these crops are unsustainable, posing risks to food safety and farmer livelihoods.
This small research activity aims to address these challenges by investigating on-farm, soil-related issues affecting coffee, black pepper and fruit production in five provinces of the Central Highlands. It will examine the distribution of soil and plant health status and agronomic factors in conjunction with another ACIAR-supported project, which is conducting a preliminary investigation and situational analysis of the coffee and black pepper markets and value chains in Vietnam (AGR/2018/175). Moreover, the project will use satellite imagery and survey data on soil characteristics and soil health to understand key soil-related risks and their distribution across the region. The project will adhere to FAIR data principles and provide baseline data for future research and development work in the farming systems.
