Making high-quality coffee requires time, energy and resources. That’s why we’re constantly looking for ways to build more circular economies where waste is reduced and wherever possible raw materials are reused - especially when it comes to using natural resources.

At local farms, we’re helping to improve irrigation techniques which can reduce water usage while maintaining productivity. At our Tri An factory in Bien Hoa (Dong Nai province) we are using coffee grounds as biofuel to partially power our boilers and lights.

We're also training farmers to introduce diverse and regenerative farming techniques, including the planting of additional tree species at coffee farms. These methods not only enhance soil health but also reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

Reducing water usage and reducing waste production, but still making quality coffee. It’s a dream for coffee lovers – but it’s a reality for us, and one we’re taking seriously. Together, we can support coffee farmers to run more efficient, more economical farms and in so doing, help build a more sustainable future for coffee, for everyone.₃

Phung Thi Ha Lan believes engineering can make a difference. Always keen to learn and progress, she didn’t think twice when offered the opportunity to help build the Tri An NESCAFÉ® Roastery. “During the design phase for the factory, we already considered sustainability in our process,” she says. Now the Industrial Service Manager in the Engineering Department, her roles and responsibilities include taking care of maintenance operations, and improvements to the system.​

Solutions-driven and passionate about everything she does, Lan is incredibly close to her team, and on a constant mission to keep them inspired. This passion goes beyond the workplace. She often hosts knowledge-sharing sessions with university students where they discuss the purpose of engineering. In addition to explaining how the factory operates, she encourages these young women to explore more technical careers and become part of the next generation of engineers.​

A mother of three, Lan understands the importance of work-life balance. She makes every effort to spend quality time with her kids, using these opportunities to tell them about her work, and how she’s contributing to a better future. “I explain to them, in a simple way, how we care about sustainability, because they also learn about environmental protection in school,” she says. Once, after doing this, one of her children announced a desire to become an engineer too. “I felt very proud,” smiles Lan.​

Farming methods evolve over time, and nobody knows this more than Tran Thi Lien. A second generation farmer, she studied regenerative agricultural practices to make her farm more successful. She learnt techniques that reduced time and labour, and adopted intercropping, introducing plants that increase her farm’s productivity. The results were transformative, and now her farm functions as a business. “I have increased the efficiency of land use, thereby increasing my family's income,” she says.​

Tran Thi Lien's deep knowledge helped her secure additional work as a lead farmer. She shares technical support and encouragement, inspiring others in her community to adopt regenerative agriculture practices. “The first thing is to introduce knowledge,” she says, believing that this will help other farmers prosper too.​​

Lien has noticed a positive change in lifestyle among her fellow farmers. She believes that by employing regenerative agriculture practices, they are farming more efficiently. “They have more time to spend with their families,” she says. These advanced methods have also contributed to farmers producing higher yields, leading to greater prosperity. “I'm so proud. I'm very happy,” she smiles. “Not only can I help myself, but I can also help the others.”​