Enhancing the value of local specialities
The Ara-Tay Coffee Cooperative in May Village, Muong Chanh Commune, Son La Province, has chosen to build its foundation upon the inherent values of the land: hillsides planted with Arabica coffee and cultivation practices preserved by the Thai ethnic community over generations.
Having previously focused mainly on selling raw coffee beans, the cooperative has gradually developed growing areas, established links with local farmers, and improved every stage of production, from harvesting and preliminary processing to final processing, thereby increasing the value of its beans. As a result, it generated revenue of more than 2 billion VND in 2025 after deducting expenses.
These efforts have brought Muong Chanh Arabica coffee to the World Brewers Cup 2026, one of the world's most prestigious coffee competitions, while creating additional livelihood opportunities for local growers.
Director of Ara-Tay Coffee Cooperative Cam Thi Mon said it works alongside farmers throughout the process, from crop care and guidance on harvesting ripe cherries to preliminary processing and purchasing their produce. She noted that when their hard work is rewarded with a fair return, farmers have greater motivation to remain committed to coffee cultivation and upgrade their production practices.
Lo Thi Phong said that, in the past, her family and many other households in the village had mainly grown and sold coffee based on their own experience, relying on traders. Since joining the cooperative, receiving technical guidance, and gaining access to stable outlets, farmers have become more confident in their production and their living standards have improved considerably.
Muong Chanh Arabica coffee has brought tangible benefits to individual households, while collaborative initiatives are proving increasingly effective at the community level. Chairman of the Muong Chanh Commune People's Committee Nguyen Bien Cuong said the locality aims to capitalise on its distinctive agricultural advantages and develop models such as Ara-Tay Coffee to create livelihoods and increase residents' incomes, thereby contributing to socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas.
Arabica coffee is now providing a stable source of income for residents in Muong Chanh Commune. Meanwhile, smoked buffalo meat, a traditional dish passed down through generations, is also becoming a valuable income stream for local people in Bo May Hamlet, Muong Ang Commune, Dien Bien Province.
Recognising the potential of this local traditional delicacy, Hien Hien established a business with systematic investment in product quality, packaging, and brand development. In 2025, Hien Hien smoked buffalo meat was certified as a three-star One Commune One Product (OCOP) item by Dien Bien Province.
According to Lo Thi Hien, owner of the business, OCOP recognition is not the ultimate goal. More important is maintaining product quality and securing a reliable supply of raw materials. To that end, Hien Hien has established links with buffalo-raising households in Bo May Hamlet to ensure consistent sourcing while preserving the authentic flavour of this traditional smoked buffalo dish.
Chairman of the Dien Bien Provincial Cooperative Alliance Phi Van Duong said products made from local crops, livestock, and traditional crafts are opening new opportunities for residents. Through the OCOP Programme, cooperatives are better positioned to standardise their offerings, expand markets, and turn the inherent strengths of each locality into marketable goods.
So far, Dien Bien has 147 OCOP products, including 56 three-star items from cooperatives and cooperative groups. As these products establish a foothold in the market, local people gain additional outlets for their agricultural produce, traditional crafts are sustained, and their incomes steadily rise.
Resources for local economic development
Experience in Son La and Dien Bien provinces reveals that local specialities closely associated with the lives of ethnic minority communities are becoming a vital resource for grassroots economic development.
According to Head of the OCOP and Rural Tourism Management Division under the Central Coordination Office for the National Target Programme Dao Duc Huan, OCOP products made by ethnic minority communities benefit from their distinctive local characteristics, raw material sources, traditional knowledge, and cultures.
“These are the values that create differentiation and competitiveness for the product,” Huan remarked.
At present, local people in Son La and Dien Bien provinces are stepping up production while paying greater attention to product quality, raw material areas, processing standards, and market outlets for their goods.
Chairman of the Dien Bien Provincial Cooperative Alliance Phi Van Duong said indigenous cultural identity is the unique feature that gives many local OCOP items their distinctive appeal. In the coming period, the organisation will focus on supporting cooperatives in improving their products, promoting them, and establishing market connections through trade fairs and exhibitions. It will also identify and encourage products with potential to participate in the OCOP Programme. These efforts will give local specialities more opportunities to reach consumers, expand their markets, and generate additional income for residents.
Taking a local speciality beyond the boundaries of a hamlet to a wider market requires more than simply having a good product. The stories of Hien Hien smoked buffalo meat and Muong Chanh Arabica coffee are also about production methods, approaches to reaching consumers, and the ability to adapt to market demands.
According to Chief of the Central Coordination Office for the National Target Programme Nguyen Xuan Dai, OCOP products should be developed based on each locality's distinctive advantages, with particular attention paid to quality, unique characteristics, and cultural values associated with the community.
Science, technology, and digital transformation can provide further support for quality control, traceability, brand development, and bringing products closer to consumers. The key, he said, is that the development process does not lose its inherent values. Packaging or a brand story is only truly meaningful when behind it are good ingredients, conscientious methods, and cultural features preserved in the product itself.
Production models in Son La and Dien Bien demonstrate that when local people can earn a living from the resources their homeland provides, confidence in traditional crafts gradually returns. Specialities rooted in daily life and time-honoured methods passed down through generations need no longer remain merely in people's memories or family kitchens. When properly valued, preserved, and developed, they can become marketable products, creating additional jobs and sources of income.
