As the world’s leading robusta coffee producer and exporter, Vietnam exports around 900,000 tonnes of coffee every year for US$1.5 billion. Coffee has become one of top ten products with an export value of more than US$1 billion. The Central Highland Dak Lak province accounts for 50 percent of the country’s total coffee exports.

In recent years, Dak Lak has paid a lot of attention to promoting the Buon Ma Thuot coffee trademark in particular and Vietnamese coffee in general. The Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival 2005 was the first event of the promotion programme and left a deep impression. The province chose 2008 as the “Year of Coffee” with the aim of accelerating its sustainable development. Coffee culture week in late 2007 will kick off the “Year of Coffee” and the “Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival” will follow in December 2008.

The coffee culture week will take place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City where it is consumed by a large amount of Vietnamese people. With support from Prime Minister, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development and the local authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the week will be a cultural event for not only Dak Lak but also the whole nation. A number of businesses will join the event to help promote the coffee trademark.

The week will include six main activities: farm models, consultancy and discussions on coffee, exhibitions, entertainment and art performances featuring Tay Nguyen culture.

Visitors can see with their own eyes activities such as growing, roasting, grinding and processing coffee. Coffee lovers can not only gain a better understanding of coffee production by seeing documentary films and photos at the exhibitions but also join in the whole process themselves from roasting, grinding to packing coffee under the guidelines of farmers and coffee experts.

Another important activity is the “experience sharing corner” where successful businesses reveal their habits of enjoying drinking coffee while working. Questions related to coffee can be raised with experts and coffee lovers can taste coffee at bars from dawn till dusk.

The week is expected to attract around 30 famous coffee brand names and cafes. Both traditional and modern coffee making processes will be highlighted to introduce various kinds of products along with other entertainment activities. At the opening ceremony, people who are dressed up like coffee leaves, flowers and beans will parade with gongs.

When night falls, visitors will find out more about Tay Nguyen and coffee culture through art performances and Rock Coffee Gala.

Currently, the organisers are busy preparing for such a special week in the hope that it will become an annual cultural activity like the Beer Festival in Germany, Carnival Festival in Brazil or Rose Festival in Texas and that drinking coffee will become a nice cultural feature among people.