The launch event was used to introduce the goals and values of the project, which aims to reduce deforestation, forest degradation and promote forest landscape restoration.

At the event over 50 participants, including Director DARD Nguyen Van Son , SNV country director Alison Rusinow, and representatives from public stakeholders, government officials, international organisations, private companies, and local authorities.

Funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), CAFÉ-REDD, the project is implemented by SNV, in the period 2018-2021 and is worth EUR1.7 million.

The project focuses on The Lang Biang landscape (comprising Bi Doup Nui Ba National Park and Buffer Zone) - a priority protection landscape - located in Lam Dong. The overall objective of the project is to improve institutional capacity and public-private coordination around shared interests and visions for climate smart landscapes, which directly and indirectly reduce deforestation, forest degradation and restore forest landscapes.

Building on previous initiatives in the province, the CAFÉ-REDD project supports the Lam Dong government to implement key measures that will reduce deforestation and forest degradation and support the transition towards green growth as outlined in the Provincial REDD+ Action Plan (PRAP).

The PRAP recognises that the principal driver of deforestation is the conversion of forests to agriculture (>70% of GHG deforestation-related emissions) for commodity crops, especially coffee.

Responding to this contex, the project uses an integrated approach, with the following pillars: Developing a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership for forest landscape conservation and restoration as well as strengthened institutional capacity for climate smart landscape governance; Engaging the private sector to use monitoring and traceability systems to promote deforestation-free coffee supply chains; and Working with local ethnic minority communities and smallholder farmers to promote sustainable coffee production, including reduced expansion of coffee into forested areas, the promotion of coffee-agroforestry models and the development of alternative livelihood opportunities for young people.

As such, the project will provide the necessary investment to transform the district into a deforestation-free jurisdiction and model for green growth.

VNF