Vietnamese coffee attracts two Japanese industry leaders with traceable origin

According to VnBusiness, the booth jointly presented by Saigon Green Economy Cooperative and Total Feeling Specialty Coffee became a focal point at the exhibition, attracting visitors from across the industry, including representatives of Tokyo Coffee and UCC Coffee Professional. Although the two companies serve different market segments, both were seeking the same answer: what truly defines the value of a coffee bean in today's specialty coffee market.

Tokyo Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster based in Tokyo, recognized for its commitment to organic coffee, freshly roasted products and brand storytelling centered on coffee growers and production regions. UCC Coffee Professional, a member of the nearly century-old UCC Group, supplies coffee solutions to hotels, restaurants and cafés throughout Japan.

During discussions with the Vietnamese exhibitors, representatives from both companies said that while flavor, processing methods and cupping scores remain important, they are no longer the sole determinants of a coffee's value. Japan's coffee market is increasingly placing greater emphasis on traceability, transparency throughout the production chain, and verifiable data covering coffee-growing regions, farming practices and the people behind each product.

In response to these market expectations, the Saigon Green Economy Cooperative introduced its Truong Son Coffee Culture Landscape model, which views coffee not simply as an agricultural commodity but as the product of an integrated ecosystem encompassing natural conditions, regional history, indigenous knowledge, cultivation methods and processing techniques. Building on this concept, the cooperative has developed a Certificate of Origin & Authenticity system that enables each coffee lot to be traced and verified through detailed production data.

According to the cooperative, this approach is designed to increase the value of Vietnamese coffee by strengthening transparency rather than competing primarily on production volume. The model also aligns with the growing preferences of Japanese importers seeking reliable, long-term business partners.

The discussions also revealed growing interest among Japanese companies in Viet Nam's emerging specialty coffee sector. Many participants expressed surprise that the country, already one of the world's largest coffee exporters, is also developing high-quality specialty coffee regions supported by data-driven management, traceability systems and rigorous quality control. The organizers believe these developments could help Vietnamese coffee gain greater access to premium, value-added segments of the international market.

Although no commercial agreements were signed during CAFERES JAPAN 2026, the participating organizations agreed to maintain dialogue and pursue further technical discussions. Industry observers view the simultaneous interest from both a specialty coffee roaster and one of Japan's largest coffee groups as an encouraging sign that transparency and traceability are becoming important competitive advantages for Vietnamese coffee in global markets.