Transitioning from Monoculture to Mixed Cropping Systems: The Case of Coffee, Pepper, and Fruit Trees in Vietnam

Abstract

In the Central Highlands of Vietnam, coffee (Coffea canephora) and pepper (Peper nigrum) farmers have started transitioning from monoculture to mix cropping systems. To investigate this ongoing shift towards diversified systems and understand the underlying agronomic and economic drivers, a total of 234 interviews were conducted with farmers in the three provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Gia Lai in 2021. The interviews showed that farmers are increasingly incorporating coffee, pepper, and fruit trees (mostly avocado, durian, and macadamia) within their plots. This response is likely driven by market prices and government incentives. The addition of perennial crops into existing systems results in an overall increase in planting densities (+33–71% compared with monoculture systems). Despite the intensification and diversification, there is currently no noticeable competition between crops, and productivity per tree remains high in these intensive farming systems. Furthermore, diversified coffee systems exhibit higher gross margins (only considering fertilizer and pesticide costs while excluding labor costs) than monoculture coffee systems. They also demonstrate greater economic resilience to price fluctuations. Given the perennial nature of the crops, this transformation is expected to continue unfolding in the coming years, reshaping the agricultural landscape of the Central Highlands.