Dak Lak
Vietnam's coffee capital—210K ha (30%+ of national output), $915M exports (2024), first EUDR-certified locality, VND 128K/kg record prices.
Dak Lak grows more coffee than any other province in Vietnam—210,000 hectares producing 520,000+ tonnes annually, over 30% of national output. Buon Ma Thuot, the provincial capital, positions itself as the "world's coffee destination." 2024 exports reached 264,000 tonnes earning $915 million (up $168 million year-on-year); green beans contributed $783 million, instant coffee $132 million.
The province became the world's first locality to achieve EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) certification for 40,000 hectares—a sustainability credential critical for European market access as regulations tighten. The "Knowledge of coffee cultivation and processing in Dak Lak" heritage was inscribed nationally in March 2025, with UNESCO inscription under consideration.
Record prices defined the 2024-2025 harvest: VND 128,000 per kilogram of green coffee generated average profits of VND 300 million per hectare. The 9th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival (March 9-13, 2025) celebrated the industry's cultural centrality. Economic scale reached VND 141,326 billion in 2024—first in the Central Highlands—with GRDP per capita at VND 72.8 million. By 2026, Dak Lak tests whether sustainability certification can translate price premiums into permanent competitive advantage.