Vietnam, alongside the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have launched the US$102.50 million RECAF project – aimed to combat rising greenhouse gas emissions and protect vital forest ecosystems where residents depend on coffee production for their livelihoods.
The IFAD says in a statement that over six years, RECAF (short for Achieving Emission Reduction in the Central Highlands and South Central Coast of Vietnam to Support National REDD+ Action Programme Goals) is expected to reduce 6.68 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, restore and improve 145,000 hectares of agroforestry land, and protect 500,000 hectares of high-value natural forest.
The project is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in collaboration with the Provincial People’s Committees of Central Highlands coffee-producing areas Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Lam Dong, and Khanh Hoa, with financing from the government, IFAD and GCF.
The IFAD says RECAF will reach around 420,000 people and “indirectly improve the livelihoods of more than 1 million rural residents, contributing significantly to Vietnam’s national climate commitments while supporting rural incomes and food security.”
“This project is critically important for Dak Lak and the Central Highlands,” says Nguyen Thien Van, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dak Lak Province.
“By integrating forest protection with sustainable farming, RECAF will help farmers increase their incomes while safeguarding forests for future generations.”
