Meet Duc: A Businessman Promoting Prosperity in Vietnamese Coffee
We met Duc in early 2020 as he was the English speaking spokesperson for Dang (Tradition Farmer) and we had been pointed in their direction as a result of a glowing recommendation from Son Nguyen Van (Pioneer Farmer). At the time, we were looking for Robusta coffee and were really pleased to have been put in touch with Duc and Dang, members of Vietnam’s young and emerging community of coffee farmers.
Trung Duc
A young business man seeking to promote education, prosperity and quality in the Vietnamese Coffee industry
Duc runs a small company which processes and distributes coffee in Vietnam - Uplands Roast are their first customer outside of Vietnam, an exciting prospect for all involved. As is plain to see in our new film, meeting Duc was amazing and we immediately got on very well, diving straight into deep into discussion about values and intentions.
Duc Thinks Deeply!
Still so young, he is a disciple of all things speciality coffee in Vietnam and beyond.
Uplands Roast’s new speciality coffee ‘Horizon’ is from a secret farm deep in the highlands of Da Lat. Duc did not want to give away the exact location when we first discussed the topic. For us, this wasn’t a cause for concern for us due to the fact he is dealing with an ethnic minority not yet exposed to the ‘outside world’. Duc sincerely believes in the importance of protecting this community. He has seen similar situations where people learn of ‘undiscovered’ natural beauty spots and pour in to explore new business opportunities only to destroy the local culture and environment.
Duc found this small community on his hiking trip and wishes to keep it secret so it doesn’t get damaged – and also so other folk don’t come swooping in for the amazing conditions for speciality coffee. Mature Arabica coffee trees nestled away from artificial fertiliser and ideal weather conditions are worth protecting for the time being until relationships with locals are fully established.
Duc, Dang and Stu
Exploring the farm in Vietnam’s hidden highlands
In a really special moment Duc said he did not want to be Mr Son (Pioneer farmer), but instead he wanted to create more Son Nguyen Vans. This is a great attitude which is about promoting the community over one’s own interests as well as encouraging others to flourish. He also made an interesting point that folk should seek to do something good that can be repeated by others (something that everyone can do). He meant this in contrast to something ‘only you can do’. Whilst these acts might build you a reputation, they don’t do much to help society. An interesting insight into Duc’s way of thinking and a thought worth thinking about.
