As one of the pioneers to bring Italian coffee to Hanoi with the Miriam’s Coffee chain in 2012, few people know that Dao Ngoc Anh is the founder of Detech Coffee – a unit that produces and processes coffee according to the model. The 5th largest “From farm to cup of coffee” image in the North.
Ms. Dao Ngoc Anh – Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors of Detech Coffee
After the Miriam’s Coffee chain went into operation, why did Ms. Ngoc Anh “befriend” the challenging coffee industry and decided to establish Detech Coffee?
– As a coffee lover, more than anyone else, I look forward to making outstanding contributions to the coffee industry in Vietnam and around the world. Yes, this is an industry filled with challenges but no shortage of opportunities to grow and shine. In 2017, coffee exports from Vietnam reached about 1.7 billion tons, accounting for 14.2% of the export coffee market. According to statistics, on average, for every 7 cups of coffee consumed, 1 cup of coffee comes from Vietnam. However, more than 90% of the coffee our country exports is raw coffee, when it becomes finished coffee, it carries the label of another brand. Therefore, the majority of coffee consumers in the world do not know the existence of Vietnamese coffee.
Coffee producers, domestic and foreign consumers are not properly aware of the role of Vietnamese coffee. This is a situation with many potential risks to our country’s position in the global coffee supply chain. If we are not able to create our own brands, in the near future, Vietnamese coffee will be easily replaced by African coffee. In fact, this problem has happened and is increasing every year, as many countries in this continent advocate increasing production of cheap coffee for export purposes.
Therefore, in 2012, I and my associates decided to establish Detech Coffee with the goal of contributing to strengthening Vietnam’s position in the sustainable coffee supply chain and bringing the “true value” of Vietnamese coffee to the world. to consumers at home and abroad.
So what does the “true value” of coffee you refer to here mean?
– “True value” of coffee is not merely the taste, the quality of the product. The “true value” of coffee is the positive and sustainable values coffee brings to farmers, producers and consumers. Firstly, farmers need to build a stable livelihood, a prosperous life from the coffee trees they take care of. Secondly, producers need to choose a production model and processing method that fully preserves the value and identity of coffee beans while promoting environmental protection activities. Third, consumers have the right to enjoy high-quality products, ensuring food safety and hygiene, and improving health.
To create a sustainable supply chain, oriented to “true value” and original, each link in the process: farmers, producers and consumers need to closely connect and support each other.
And how did Detech Coffee do this?
– At Detech Coffee, we build a sustainable coffee environment with the “From farm to cup” production model. Choosing Son La as the main raw material area, we build a network of farmers, guide them to sustainable farming, improve their knowledge about coffee, and at the same time implement a product consumption policy: High and stable prices create incentives for farmers to provide better quality coffee.
In order to bring high quality products, processed entirely from coffee, Detech Coffee will purchase ripe coffee cherries that are harvested by hand with a red fruit rate of up to 95%. This valuable raw material will undergo preliminary processing and processing by modern technological lines imported from Europe. And in line with the sustainability goal, our factory owns a standard wastewater treatment system as required by local authorities, minimizing negative impacts on the environment. Thus, over time of exploitation, we can still preserve the raw material area and improve the value of Vietnamese coffee.
Detech Coffee implements a product off-take policy: offering high and stable prices to motivate farmers to provide better quality coffee.
During 8 years of operation, Detech Coffee has achieved certain achievements in the international market: becoming a partner of many supermarkets and coffee shops at home and abroad such as the US, Germany, Russia, China. Korea, Korea, Saudi Arabia. So what motivates you to come back and invest in developing the domestic market?
– There is such a paradox. Despite being the country that owns the world’s second largest cultivation area and coffee output, many Vietnamese still consume coffee mixed with corn and corn; Flavored coffee does not guarantee food safety and hygiene, causing serious harm to health.
We have had the opportunity to interact with many international customers, including demanding markets such as the US, Germany or China. They give very positive feedback on the quality of Son La Arabica coffee. However, domestic consumers are not familiar with Arabica coffee nor know about coffee from the Northwest material region.
Therefore, Detech Coffee returned to the domestic market, first to bring high quality coffee products with clear origin, with advanced production technology. Secondly, it is to affirm and improve the value of Son La Arabica coffee beans and the Northwest raw material area.
So, who are the specific customers that Detech Coffee is targeting?
– Currently, Detech Coffee is targeting two main audiences. First, as the investor of coffee business models, businesses and units with the same goal of bringing high-quality Vietnamese coffee products closer to consumers. Then there are the customers who will directly consume the coffee. They pay close attention to the origin as well as the production process of the product.
To attest to these, Detech Coffee regularly organizes tours to the raw material area in Son La and the factory in Hung Yen exclusively for interested customers. For us, transparency is a core value.
