San local indicators coffee vietnam august 2012

Local Interpretation
Guidelines for Sustainable
Coffee Production in Vietnam

© Sustainable Agriculture Network

August 2012
Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN):
Conservación y Desarrollo, Ecuador · Fundación Interamericana de Investigación Tropical, Guatemala ·
Fundación Natura, Colombia · ICADE, Honduras · IMAFLORA, Brazil · Nature Conservation Foundation,
India · Pronatura Sur, Mexico · Rainforest Alliance · SalvaNatura, El Salvador

SAN Local Interpretation Guidelines for Sustainable Coffee Production in Vietnam

Copies of this document are available for free in electronic format at any Sustainable
Agriculture Network member or at the following websites:

www.sanstandards.org

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Please send your comments or suggestions concerning this Sustainable Agriculture
Network Standards & Policy document to:

standards@sanstandards.org

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P.O. Box 11029
1000 San José
Costa Rica

SAN Local Indicators Coffee Vietnam August 2012.docx 2


CONTENTS

Introduction ____________________________________________________________ 4
The Sustainable Agriculture Network and the Rainforest Alliance ____________________ 4
The Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Mission __________________________________ 4
Standards, Criteria and Interpretation Guidelines _______________________________ 5
Objectives and Use of Interpretation Guidelines ________________________________ 5
Scope of these Interpretation Guidelines ______________________________________ 6
Geographical Scope_______________________________________________________ 6
Proceedings _____________________________________________________________ 6
Covered Aspects _________________________________________________________ 6
Interpretation Guidelines for Sustainable Coffee Production in Vietnam ______________ 7
1. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ____________________ 7
2. ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION __________________________________________ 9
4. WATER CONSERVATION _____________________________________________ 11
5. FAIR TREATMENT AND GOOD WORKING CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS ______ 13
7. COMMUNITY RELATIONS _____________________________________________ 17
8. INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT ____________________________________ 18
9. SOIL MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION ______________________________ 19
10. INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT ___________________________________ 20



Introduction
The Sustainable Agriculture Network and the Rainforest Alliance
The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) is a coalition of independent
non-profit conservation organizations that promote the social and
environmental sustainability of agricultural activities by developing
standards. Standard and policy development and review is coordinated
by the SAN secretariat based in San José, Costa Rica. A Certification
Body certifies farms or group administrators that comply with SAN’s
standards and policies. Certified farms or group administrators can apply
for use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ trademark for products
grown on certified farms.

Since 1992, more than 1,200 certificates for more than 570,000 farms - including small family
farms of cooperatives, as well as plantations - in 39 countries have met the SAN standards on
more than 1,800,000 ha for more than 35 crops including coffee, cocoa, banana, tea,
pineapple, flowers and foliage, and citrus. Other crops include aloe vera, apple, avocado,
cherry, grapes, heart of palm, kiwi, macadamia, mango, pear, rubber and vanilla.

The SAN has the following members: Conservación y Desarrollo (C&D), Ecuador; Fundación
Interamericana de Investigación Tropical (FIIT), Guatemala; Fundación Natura, Colombia;
ICADE, Honduras; IMAFLORA, Brazil; Nature Conservation Foundation, India; Pronatura
Chiapas, Mexico; SalvaNatura, El Salvador; and Rainforest Alliance.

The Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Mission
The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) promotes efficient agriculture, biodiversity
conservation and sustainable community development by creating social and environmental
standards. SAN fosters best management practices across agricultural value chains by
encouraging farmers to comply with SAN standards and by motivating traders and consumers
to support sustainability.

SAN pursues its mission by:
 Integrating sustainable production of crops and livestock into local and regional strategies
that favor biodiversity conservation and safeguard social and environmental well-being.
 Raising awareness among farmers, traders, consumers and business leaders about the
interdependencies among healthy ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and social
responsibility.
 Impressing upon business leaders and consumers the importance of choosing products
grown on environmentally sustainable and socially responsible farms.
 Stimulating dialog among environmental, social and economic groups, North and South,
about the benefits of sustainable agriculture.



Standards, Criteria and Interpretation Guidelines
The objective of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard is to provide a measure of each farm’s
social and environmental performance and agricultural management practices. Compliance is
evaluated by audits that measure the degree of the farm’s conformity to environmental, social
and agricultural practices indicated in the standard criteria.
The sustainable agriculture standard consists of ten principles. Each principle is made up of
criteria. The criteria describe good practices for social, environmental and agricultural
management, and are evaluated by the certification process. It is important to emphasize that
compliance with the standard is evaluated by comparison with the criteria, not with the
interpretation guidelines. Criteria are binding for the compliance evaluation process, whereas
interpretation guidelines are not.
On the other hand, interpretation guidelines just describe how good or unacceptable
management practices appear, and often contain examples of both good and unacceptable
social and environmental practices. In this way the interpretation guidelines guide the farm in
its efforts to comply with the standard and may change according to the conditions of different
countries, regions or cultures.

Objectives and Use of Interpretation Guidelines
How the Standard for Sustainable Agriculture with its criteria is interpreted and applied to
particular situations is determined by Interpretation Guidelines.
 Interpretation Guidelines are not binding for certification processes, but they are important
for implementing good agricultural practices on farms and provide more detailed guidance
during audit processes.
 Interpretation Guidelines interpret the binding criteria of the standard for local conditions
and/or a specific crop and are developed by a local Workgroup.
The development of Local Interpretation Guidelines is led by Workgroups which are
coordinated by SAN’s Secretariat and organized by the local technical partners. The balanced
representation of different stakeholders’ interests possibly influenced by these guidelines is
assured and approved by SAN’s Board of Directors. SAN’s Secretariat coordinates the writing
of local interpretation guidelines. The final version of guidelines is approved by the Secretariat.
The members of Workgroups that develop Local Interpretation Guidelines have to comply with
the following requirements:
 Understanding and support for SAN’s mission and vision.
 Knowledge and experience with respect to the topics under discussion.
 Comprehension of the potential influence that this document can have.
 Balanced representation of the different points of view of interested stakeholders.
These workgroups gather specific input for local interpretation guidelines, such as:
 Best farm management practices for ecosystem conservation in the region.
 Information about native trees that can be used in reforestation efforts.
 Local legislation regarding protection of ecosystems, riparian zones, endangered plants
and animals, deforestation and reforestation. Also, information about local and regional
conservation programs, protected areas, watersheds and corridors.



 Information about local diseases, pests, necessary agricultural practices and other factors
that can influence the economic sustainability of farms.
 Local labor and occupational health laws executed by the local health and labor ministries
or related authorities that can orient farms to implement their social policies.
 Best practices for erosion prevention and waste management.

Scope of these Interpretation Guidelines
Geographical Scope
These guidelines are applicable to coffee production in Vietnam, and cover both the estate and
smallholder context.

Proceedings
The initial work group meetings on developing local interpretation guidelines for sustainable
coffee production in Vietnam took place in March and April 2010 and were based originally on
the September 2009 version of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Various coffee
stakeholders joined and contributed to these two working group meetings. A first draft was
generated and sent to the SAN secretariat in June 2010. As by then the new July 2010 version
of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard was published, the need arose for another meeting
considering the criteria changes made to the new standard version. Thus a small workshop
with stakeholders from the Community Development Center (CDC) was held in September
2011 in Buon Ma Thuot. In parallel email communication with selected stakeholders and key
experts supported the development of a second draft version of the Local Interpretation
Guidelines for coffee in Vietnam. In March 2012 a final review workshop with altogether 30
stakeholders was held in Buon Ma Thuot. The third draft of the local interpretation guidelines
was generated from the discussions and inputs during this March workshop. In addition, the
recommendations from the Nescafe Better Farming Practices (NBFP) textbook were added to
the interpretations where relevant. The final version of the local interpretation guidelines for
sustainable coffee production in Vietnam were approved by the SAN Secretariat in August
2012.

Covered Aspects
Criteria within the following principles are subject to local interpretation in this document:
 Principle 1: Social and Environmental Management System
 Principle 2: Ecosystem Conservation
 Principle 4: Water Conservation
 Principle 5: Fair Treatment and Good Working Conditions for Workers
 Principle 7: Community Relations
 Principle 8: Integrated Crop Management
 Principle 9: Soil Management and Conservation
 Principle 10: Waste Management



Interpretation Guidelines for Sustainable Coffee Production in Vietnam
The following tables are organized by the relevant principle of the Sustainable Agriculture
Standard and contain two main sections:
1. Upper cell: The relevant section of the criterion is referenced in bold letters as a textual
copy of the valid version of SAN’s Sustainable Agriculture Standard.
2. Lower cells: The local interpretation guidelines that interpret the relevant binding criteria
for the environmental and social conditions in Vietnam.

1. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
1.6 The potential social and environmental impacts of new works or activities must be
evaluated. These include the expansion of production areas, the construction or
installation of new infrastructure, or major changes in production or processing
systems. The evaluation must be carried out before the initiation of any changes or new
work in accordance with applicable laws or, in their absence, based on technically
accepted and recognized methods. Any evaluation must include procedures for
monitoring and evaluating the significant impacts identified and not foreseen during the
development of new works or activities.
Group administrators and/or plantation management implement the below outlined steps:
1. Evaluate the impact of new works and activities upon environment and/or society,
2. Subsequently identify corrective actions and formulate them in a mitigation plan,
3. Implement the plan, supervise and monitor it,
4. Record and file all related documents and reports.
Applicable national and local regulations/laws are:
 Law on Environment Protection no:52/2005/QH11,
 Law on Water Resources no:1998/QH,
 Law on Construction Management no: 16/2003/QH11.
It is always the latest version of a law/regulation certified farms refer to.
1.7 The farm must have the necessary processes for follow up, measurement and analysis,
including that of claims by workers or other persons or groups, to evaluate the
functioning of the social and environmental management system and farm compliance
with applicable laws and the standard. The results of these processes must be recorded
and incorporated into the social and environmental management system through a
continual improvement plan and program. The continual improvement program must
include the necessary corrective actions to rectify non-compliance situations, as well
as the mechanisms needed to determine if the actions are implemented and if they
result in improvements or need to be adjusted to produce the desired results.
Additionally, certified farms establish and implement a system of receiving and analysing claims by
workers and other persons or groups.

1.8 The farm’s service providers must commit to complying with the environmental, social
and labor requirements of this standard, not only while operating on the farm but also
for any outside activities related to the services provided. The farm must have
mechanisms for evaluating its service providers and checking that they are complying
with this standard. The farm must not use the services of suppliers or contractors that
do not comply with the social, labor and environmental requirements of this standard.
The group administrator or farm management has to:
 Make an inventory of suppliers/service providers,



 Categorize the suppliers/service providers by type of goods and services,
 Make an assessment based on
o Risk according to activity (low, medium, high)
o Level of liability for supplies/services provided (low, medium, high)
o Availability of business license (yes, no),
 Select the appropriate method and frequency of assessment according to risk category and
liability level. Deselect any supplier/service provider without a valid business license,
 Depending on the risk and liability level, select the appropriate assessment method: in person
assessment if high risk level; self-assessment questionnaire if low risk level,
 Choose the most compliant provider of the options available,
 Inform them of the decision of the group’s or farm’s certification programme, and the contents of
the SAN standard being relevant for the supplies/services provided,
 The farm management, legal owner or group administrator can ensure the providers’ compliance
with local Occupational Health & Safety regulations and labour laws through a signed letter of
commitment by the supplier/service provider which also states his/her compliance with the
applicable SAN criteria,
 Periodically carry out evaluation of service providers concerning their compliance with the SAN
standard.
Overall, records of the above assessments and selections are kept - as any other document - for
minimum 5 years.
In case of smallholders, the group administrator shall facilitate the above described selection and
assessment of suppliers/service providers.
Suppliers/service providers will not be audited per se against the Sustainable Agriculture Standard –
thus they do not need to comply with the continuous improvement programme.
1.11 The farm must annually describe its energy sources and the amount of energy used
from each source for production processes, transport and domestic use within the farm
limits. The farm must have an energy efficiency plan with goals and implementation
activities for increased efficiency, for reducing dependency on non-renewable sources
and for increasing the use of renewable energy. Where appropriate, the use of on-farm
energy sources must be preferred.
Certified farms initially (in their preparation for the first certification) record their energy consumption
for farming activities, transportation and domestic use.
This includes energy sources such as:
 Fuel (petrol/diesel/kerosene)
 Fire wood
 Gas
 Electricity
The initial records build the database that will be analyzed to establish an energy efficiency plan
(feeding into the continuous improvement programme). The energy efficiency plan will specify
reduction in energy consumption by:
 Type of energy
 Time
 Amount to be saved
In case the decision is made to change energy sources to more sustainable ones, the energy
efficiency plan also needs to document those changes.
Subsequently, energy consumption is monitored and recorded continuously. The performance against
the energy efficiency plan is assessed at least annually and if required adaptations are made in the
energy efficiency plan. The farm keeps all records on energy consumption for minimum 5 years.



2. ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION

2.1 Critical Criterion. All existing natural ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial, must be
identified, protected and restored through a conservation program. The program must
include the restoration of natural ecosystems or the reforestation of areas within the
farm that are unsuitable for agriculture.
The conservation program demonstrates its continuous improvement during the consecutive audit
years. Thus the conservation programme is monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis. Any
conservation area is indicated on a farm map (next to farming areas, water bodies, housing areas,
roads, and any other on farm infrastructure).

2.2 Critical Criterion. From the date of application for certification onwards, the farm must
not destroy any natural ecosystem. Additionally, from November 1, 2005 onwards no
high value ecosystems must have been destroyed by or due to purposeful farm
management activities. If any natural ecosystems have been destroyed by or due to
purposeful farm management activities between November 1, 1999 and November 1,
2005, the farm must implement the following analysis and mitigations:
a. Conduct an analysis of the ecosystem destruction to document the scope and
ecological impact of the destruction.
b. Develop a mitigation plan with advice from a competent professional that is
consistent with applicable legislation and that compensates for the negative impact.
c. Implement the activities of this mitigation plan, including for example the set aside
of a significant percentage of the farm area for conservation purposes.
A separate workshop on the interpretation of this criterion is required.
The workgroup of the March 2012 workshop is suggesting to contact/involve the below stakeholders
for a more specific interpretation of criterion 2.2:
 The Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (MONRE),
 Division of management of Science-Processing- Technology, at the Department of Agriculture
and Rural development (DARD),
 Institute Centre for Agricultural Environment, Tay Nguyen University (ICEM).

2.7 The farm must establish and maintain vegetation barriers between the crop and areas
of human activity, as well as between production areas and on the edges of public or
frequently traveled roads passing through or around the farm. These barriers must
consist of permanent native vegetation with trees, bushes or other types of plants, in
order to promote biodiversity, minimize any negative visual impacts and reduce the
drift of agrochemicals, dust and other substances coming from agricultural or
processing activities. The distance between the crop plants and areas of human activity
as defined in Annex 1 [of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard] must be respected.
This criterion is differently implemented in the smallholder vs. plantation context:
Smallholders:
Coffee farms in VN are 0.5 to 0.6 hectares small. Mostly smallholders and their families settle within
their farm so that keeping a certain distance between the house and the coffee field is important. For
this reason a life hedge is maintained between the housing area and the farming area on certified
farms. Additionally a buffer zone of 5 m is kept between housing area and farming area.

Coffee plantations:
The distances indicated in Annex 1 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard apply.



Additionally, the use of bio-products is encouraged since they have less negative impact on humans
and the environment than conventional agrochemicals. Bio-products are also recommended by the
Coffee GAP (Good Agriculture Practice). However, in every case the group administrator and/or
estate management is well informed on the MSDS properties of any bio-product; especially regarding
its effect on the environment as well as the requirements with respect to Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE).

2.8 Farms with agroforestry crops located in areas where the original natural vegetative
cover is forest must establish and maintain a permanent agroforestry system
distributed homogenously throughout the plantations. The agroforestry system’s
structure must meet the following requirements:
a. The tree community on the cultivated land consists of minimum 12 native species
per hectare on average.
b. The tree canopy comprises at least two strata or stories.
c. The overall canopy density on the cultivated land is at least 40%.
Farms in areas where the original natural vegetation is not forest – such as grasslands,
savannas, scrublands or shrublands - must dedicate at least 30% of the farm area for
conservation or recovery of the area’s typical ecosystems.
These farms must implement a plan to establish or recover natural vegetation within ten
years.
Currently, shade tree cover on coffee farms in Vietnam is 20 to 40%. Overall the number of shade
trees required depends on the type of species as each tree species has different shade properties.
Additionally, a different altitude also requires different shade management (e.g. higher altitude
requires less shade, lower altitude requires more shade). Within one certified farm, there are as many
different native shade tree species as possible. Certified farms do preferably have native shade trees
only. Certified farms having exotic shade trees are asked to gradually change to native shade tree
species whenever replanting becomes necessary. The change from exotic to native shade tree
species is also documented in the continuous improvement plan.
Rainforest Alliance certified farms preferably use native shade tree species in their coffee farms, such
as:
 Senna siamea or Cassia siamea (cây muồng đen)
 Wrightia tinctoria (cây lòng mức)
 Erythrina variegata (cây vông nem)
 Acacia leucophloea (cây keo trang)
To identify further native shade trees for coffee, trainers and producers are encouraged to make use
of the below link to an agroforestry database:
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/resources/databases/agroforestree
Search the website by inserting “Vietnam”, ticking the box “native” and ticking the box “shade/shelter”.
Then a list with a number of trees will appear (Latin names). Please select the ones you know are
suitable for coffee.
Producers, trainers and auditors need to be aware that some of the exotic shade tree species
currently used in Vietnam are highly invasive species and should not be grown on certified farms. E.g.
Leucaena leucocephala is considered one of the 100 most invasive species according to the IUCN
invasive species black list. Farms that already have highly invasive species on their farms replace
them at their next replanting cycle with native shade trees and outline those replanting activities in
their continuous improvement plan.
http://www.issg.org/database/species/search.asp?st=100ss&fr=1&str=&lang=EN



4. WATER CONSERVATION

4.2 All surface or underground water exploited by the farm for agricultural, domestic or
processing purposes must have the respective concessions and permits from the
corresponding legal or environmental authorities.
The Vietnamese requirements are detailed in Law No 52 2005 on Environment Protection, Article 7,
and Article 9. Chapter II. Decision No 05 /2003/QĐ-BTN-MT from the 04th of Sept. 2003 and signed
by the Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam. If any new legislation
would update this one, it would always be the latest version that certified farms refer to.

4.3 Farms that use irrigation must employ mechanisms to precisely determine and
demonstrate that the volume of water applied and the duration of the application are not
excessive or wasteful. The farm must demonstrate that the water quantity and the
duration of the application are based on climatic information, available soil moisture, and
soil properties and characteristics. The irrigation system must be well designed and
maintained so that leakage is avoided.
Certified farms using irrigation have systems in place that record the water consumption. The
consumption is recorded continuously. Certified farms demonstrate that irrigation water is used
efficiently, e.g. considering soil moisture, plant drought stress levels, water saving irrigation
techniques and avoiding leakages.

Additionally the following guidance is provided in the Nescafe Better Farming Practices
(NBFP) Publication:
 “In some countries like Vietnam and Brazil coffee irrigation is very common and a lot of water can
be wasted through the use of inappropriate irrigation systems.
 In Brazil positive experiences with drip systems not only helped farmers reduce water usage but
also the use of energy, resulting in a more economic solution.
The amount of water used on the farm can relatively easy be reduced by repairing leaks. It is
important that farmers regularly check the irrigation systems and other pipes on the farms for leaks.
A good practice is to measure the amount of water used on the farm, using water measuring
equipment, but simpler methods are also useful:
 In irrigation systems farmers can use a bucket to measure the amount of water used in one minute
and multiply this for the whole irrigation period.
 In wet milling systems water use can be expressed per milled kilo.”

4.5 Critical Criterion. The farm must not discharge or deposit industrial or domestic
wastewater into natural water bodies without demonstrating that the discharged water
complies with the respective legal requirements, and that the wastewater’s physical and
biochemical characteristics do not degrade the receiving water body. If legal
requirements do not exist, the discharged wastewater must comply with the following
minimum parameters:
Water Quality Parameter Value
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (DBO5, 20) Less than 50
Total suspended solids mg/L
pH Between 6.0 – 9.0
Grease and oils Less than 30
mg/L
Fecal coliforms Absent
The mixing of wastewater with uncontaminated water for discharge into the environment
is prohibited.



Parameters for waste water are defined by Vietnamese regulation TCVN: 5945:2005 (Standard for
industrial waste water). However, this criterion is only applicable if waste water is released into natural
water bodies/the environment.
TCVN 5945:2005 VIETNAMESE STANDARDS FOR Industrial Waste Water - Discharge Standards
Table 1
Limit values of parameters and maximum allowable concentration of pollutants in
industrial waste water
Limit values
No Parameters Unit A B C
1 Temperature oC 40 40 45
2 pH value - 6 to 9 5.5 to 9 5 to 9
3 Odour - endurable endurable -
4 Colour Co-Pt at pH=7 20 50 -
5 BOD5 (20oC) mg/l 30 50 100
6 COD mg/l 50 80 400
7 Suspended solids mg/l 50 100 200
8 Arsenic mg/l 0.05 0.1 0.5
9 Mercury mg/l 0.005 0.01 0.01
10 Lead mg/l 0,1 0,5 1
11 Cadmium mg/l 0.005 0.01 0.5
12 Chromium (VI) mg/l 0.05 0.1 0.5
13 Chromium (III) mg/l 0.2 1 2
14 Copper mg/l 2 2 5
15 Zinc mg/l 3 3 5
16 Nickel mg/l 0.2 0.5 2
17 Manganese mg/l 0.5 1 5
18 Iron mg/l 1 5 10
19 Tin mg/l 0.2 1 5
20 Cyanide mg/l 0.07 0.1 0.2
21 Total phosphorous mg/l 0,1 0,5 1
22 Mineral oil mg/l 5 5 10
23 Animal-vegetable fat and oil mg/l 10 20 30
24 Chlorine mg/l 1 2 -
25 PCBs mg/l 0.003 0.01 -
26 Pesticide: organic phosphorous mg/l 0.3 1
27 Pesticide: organic chlorine mg/l 0.1 0.1
28 Sulphide mg/l 0.2 0.5 1
29 Fluoride mg/l 5 10 15
30 Chloride mg/l 500 600 1000
31 Ammonia (as N) mg/l 5 10 15
32 Total Nitrogen mg/l 15 30 60
33 Total phosphorous mg/l 4 6 8
34 Coli form MNP/100ml 3000 5000 -
35 Bioassay 90% of fishes alive after 96 hrs in 100% waste water
-
36 Gross a activity Bq/l 0.1 0.1 -
37 Gross b activity Bq/l 1 1 -



5. FAIR TREATMENT AND GOOD WORKING CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS

5.3 The farm must directly hire its workforce, except when a contractor is able to provide
specialized or temporary services under the same environmental, social and labor
conditions required by this standard. The farm must not establish relations or contracts
with third parties, form or directly participate in employee-owned companies, or use
other mechanisms to avoid the direct hiring of workers and the obligations normally
associated with labor contracts. Employment of foreign workers must be subject to a
work permit issued by the competent government agency. The farm must not ask for
money from workers in return for employment.

5.4 The farm must have payment policies and procedures that guarantee the complete
payment of workers on the dates agreed upon in the labor contract. Payment must take
place at the workplace, or by another arrangement agreed upon by the worker. The farm
must provide the worker with a detailed and comprehensive explanation of the salary
paid and of any deductions made, allowing the worker to appeal in the case of
perceived discrepancies. Farms with ten or more full or part-time permanent employees
must maintain an up-to-date written payroll and job description for each employee with
the following information, which employees must have access to:
a. Worker’s name, national identity card number, and position.
b. Job description and assigned salary.
c. Minimum salary established by the government according to the type of activity.
d. Weekly working hours established by applicable laws for the type of activity, and a
comparison with the number of hours assigned each worker.
e. Job requirements, for example, training or special skills.
f. Payment dates.
g. Gross pay for normal hours.
h. Gross pay for overtime.
i. Total pay: normal and overtime.
j. Legal deductions and other deductions agreed upon by the worker.
k. Net pay.
The Vietnamese legislation requires written contracts only if workers are employed for more than
three months. For workers less than three months a verbal contract is sufficient.
Thus certified smallholder farms comply with this criterion if they record the name of the workers
employed and have it signed by the worker representative (Refer to Labour Law of Vietnam Article
28, chapter 8).
However, in case a certified farm employs more than ten workers, an up to date payroll with job
description and the information outlined in a – k of criterion 5.4 is kept.



5.14 Housing provided by the farm for permanent or temporary workers living there must be
well-designed, built and maintained to foster good hygienic, health and safety
conditions. Living quarters must be separated from production areas. The farm must
seek alternatives for relocating housing or camps that are currently within production
areas. Workers and their families living on the farm must have access to recreation
areas according to the composition of inhabitants. The design, size and construction of
dormitories, barracks and other housing, type and quantity of furniture, and number
and location of sanitary facilities, showers, and washing and cooking areas must
comply with applicable laws. In absence of applicable laws the following elements and
characteristics apply:
a. The dormitories must be constructed with wooden floors above the ground or floors
made from asphalt or concrete, roofs in good condition without leaks, and with
appropriate ventilation and lighting.
b. The ceiling must not be lower than 2.5 meters at any point.
c. Five square meters of space per person in sleeping areas.
d. Heating for cold climates.
e. Bed, hammock or other dignified infrastructure for sleeping according to the
workers’ cultural needs, at least 20 centimetres above the ground. The space in
between bunk beds is greater than or equal to 120 centimetres and 90 centimetres
between each bed.
f. Basic furniture for storing personal belongings.
g. The sanitary facilities must comply with the following characteristics: one toilet for
every 15 persons; one urinal for every 25 men; sufficient supply of toilet paper; a
minimum distance of 30 meters from dormitories, eating areas and kitchens; one
washbasin for every six persons, or per family.
h. One shower per ten persons, separated by gender.
i. One large laundry sink for every 30 persons.
j. In the absence of a kitchen service (kitchen and dining hall provided by the farm),
there must be installations outside the living areas for preparing and eating food
and for washing kitchen utensils. There must be one cooking installation per 10
persons or for every two families.
Worker housing on certified farms complies with the below requirements:
a. Floor made of compacted soil or concreted cement,
b. Non leaking roof,
c. The height of the ceiling must not be lower than 1.8m (exceptions may be made in the
case of traditional housing provided by certain ethnic groups),
d. Safe and hygienic housing areas (power installations, sanitary facilities, water supply),
e. Good ventilation,
f. Sufficient lightning through windows and electric lamps,
g. 3 square metres of space per person in the case of smallholders; 5 square metres of
space per person in case of larger farms/plantations,
h. Thicker blankets are provided in cold climate/winter time,
i. Distance of bed or hammock to the soil is 10cm,
j. Provision of basic furniture for the storage of personal belongings,
k. Kitchen with a good ventilation/chimney system.



5.15 All workers of the farm and persons living on the farm must have access to potable
water. Sufficient supply of potable water must be provided to all workers and must be
available at the work site. The farm must be able to demonstrate that the water provided
complies with the physical and chemical parameters and other characteristics
established in applicable laws or in their absence, with the following critical parameters
defined by the World Health Organization (WHO):
Parameter Value
Fecal Coliforms Zero
Chlorine residue or residue from other treatment 0.2 to 0.5 mg/L
disinfectants
Nitrates 10 mg/L as nitrates
pH 6.5 to 8.5
Sodium 20 mg/L
Sulphates 250 mg/L
Turbidity Less than or equal to 5
NTU
Non-family farms that obtain water from their own sources - water not supplied by
aqueducts managed by other entities - must have a periodic drinking water monitoring
and analysis program that includes:
a. Identification of water sources on a map and on the farm.
b. Policies and procedures for guaranteeing the protection of water sources.
c. Sampling procedures and sampling locations and frequency.
d. Analyses conducted by a legally recognized laboratory (certified or authorized).
e. A record of the results for the last three years or since the certification process was
initiated.
Additional analysis may be requested in order to ensure quality when evidence of
direct or indirect contamination (such as erosion) of surface or underground water
exists.
According to Decision No 09/2005/QĐ – BYT; 5b, the below table details the requirements for
drinking water in Vietnam.
Table : Decision No 09/2005/QĐ – BYT; 5b:

No. Items Unit Maximum limit Test methods Level
check(*)
I. Observational and inorganic components
A Colors TCU 15 TCVN 6187 -1996 I
(ISO 7887 -1985)
2 Flavor No odor Appearance I
3 Turbidity NTU 5 TCVN 6184 -1996 I
4 pH 6.0-8.5 (**) TCVN 6194 - 1996 I
5 Hardness mg / l 350 TCVN 6224 -1996 I
6 Ammonium (as mg / l 3 TCVN 5988 -1995 I
+
NH 4 ) (ISO 5664 -1984)
-
7 Nitrate (as NO 3 ) mg / l 50 TCVN 6180 -1996 I
(ISO 7890 -1988)
-
8 Nitrite (as NO 2 ) mg / l 3 TCVN 6178 -1996 I
(ISO 6777 -1984)
9 Chloride mg / l 300 TCVN 6194 -1996 I
(ISO 9297 -1989)
10 Arsenic mg / l 12:05 TCVN 6182-1996 (ISO I
6595-1982)



11 Iron mg / l 0.5 TCVN 6177 -1996 I
(ISO 6332 -1988)
12 The oxygen of the mg / l 4 Conventional I
KMn0 4 techniques of the
Institute of Labor
Medicine and
Environmental
Hygiene
13 Total dissolved solids mg / l 1200 TCVN 6053 -1995 II
(TDS) (ISO 9696 -1992)
14 Copper, Cu, 29 mg / l 2 TCVN 6193-1996 (ISO II
8288 -1986)
15 Cyanide mg / l 12:07 TCVN 6181 -1996 II
(ISO 6703 -1984)
16 Fluoride mg / l 1.5 TCVN 6195-1996 (ISO II
10 359 -1992)
17 Lead mg / l 12:01 TCVN 6193 -1996 II
(ISO 8286 -1986)
18 Manganese mg / l 0.5 TCVN 6002 -1995 II
(ISO 6333 -1986)
19 Mercury mg / l 0001 TCVN 5991 -1995 II
(ISO 5666/1 -1983
ISO5666/3 -
1989) 5666/1 -
1983 5666/
3 -1989
20 Zinc mg / l 3 TCVN 6193 -1996 II
(ISO 8288 -1989)
II. Microbiology
21 Total coliform bacteria / 50 TCVN 6187 - 1996 I
100 ml (ISO 9308 - 1990)
22 E. coli or Coliform bacteria / 0 TCVN 6187 - 1996 I
Heat 100 ml (ISO 9308 -1990)



7. COMMUNITY RELATIONS

7.6 The farm must have a legitimate right to land use and tenure, demonstrated by
presenting the appropriate official documentation. If there is no such documentation the
farm must show either:
a. The absence of significant disputes on land use, tenure and access, or;
b. The consent of local communities, regarding the land, natural and agricultural
resources.
Farms have the land-use ownership certificate (Red Book). In case farms do not have this certificate,
they have the land use permission by the local authority.



8. INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT

8.4 Critical Criterion. The following chemical or biological substances cannot be used on
certified farms:
a. Biological or organic substances that are not legally registered in the country for
commercial use.
b. Agrochemicals that are not registered officially in the country.
c. Agrochemicals that are mentioned in the List of Banned and Severely Restricted
Pesticides in the U.S. by its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or
pesticides banned or severely restricted in the European Union.
d. Substances that have been banned globally under the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
e. Substances listed in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed
Consent (PIC), in relation to national bans or severe restrictions for documented
health or environmental reasons in at least two regions of the World.
f. All Pesticide Action Network Dirty Dozen substances.
List of Prohibited Pesticides – Sustainable Agriculture Network is binding for the
inserts 8.4.c, 8.4.d, 8.4.e and 8.4.f of this criterion.
In addition to the above, certified farms must not use any of the agrochemicals listed in the SAN List
of prohibited pesticides November 2011 and the Vietnamese list of prohibited pesticides by the
Department of Plant Protection from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development/ MARD. Both
lists are complementary to each other.
If any of the lists is updated it will always be the latest version producers of certified farms refer to.

8.9 The use of fire for pest and disease management must only be used if it is the option of
less environmental impact in comparison with other pest control measures. This option
must be approved by competent authorities, must reflect technical considerations and
focus on problematic areas only.
Certified farms do not use fire to control coffee borer outbreak.

Certified farms prevent the outbreak of coffee borer by:
 Cleaning harvested coffee farms from dropped fruit on the ground and dried fruit on the tree,
 The moisture level of stored coffee (dried cherries or green beans) is kept < 13% level.

For more information visit the below websites.
http://www.cuctrongtrot.gov.vn/Tech_Science.aspx?index=detail&type=b&idtin=681



9. SOIL MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION

9.2 The farm must have a soil or crop fertilization program based on soil characteristics
and properties, periodic soil or foliage sampling and analysis, and advice from a
competent and impartial professional or authority. The number of soil or foliage
samples must correspond with the size of the production area, types of soil, and
variations in its properties, as well as results of previous analyses. The producer must
keep the results of these analyses on the farm for a two-year period. Organic and non-
organic fertilizers must be applied so as to avoid any potential negative impacts on the
environment. The farm must give priority to organic fertilization using residues
generated by the farm.
The farm conducts the soil or foliage sampling in preparation for certification. Resulting
recommendations for improved soil fertility management are then incorporated into its integrated crop
management plan. Thereafter larger farms conduct soil sampling minimum every two years to monitor
the successes of soil fertility management and make adaption in their fertilisation plan if needed.
Smallholders can opt for combined soil samples by collecting up to 10 samples from homogenous
farms within the same area (homogenous by similar soil characteristics, age of coffee trees, and
cropping systems).

Farms consider the below recommendations from the NBFP guide:

“The first step in an effective and efficient fertilization program to enhance soil fertility is to base any
application of organic and/or chemical fertilizer on a soil analysis. The soil or foliar analysis should be
interpreted by an expert.

An important function of the soil analysis is to correct for unbalances, such as acidity. After correcting
for acidity through the application of lime, the nutrients in fertilizers can be absorbed in more
effectively, especially phosphorus that would otherwise be fixed by Fe, Mn or Al in insoluble forms.

Take into account that investments in fertilizers are much more effective after liming. Moreover,
applying organic and chemical fertilizers in a combined and precise mode might reduce costs and/or
increase productivity.

When soil samples are taken, it is important to take the following recommendations into account, to
ensure that the sample represents the soil of the entire farm or at least the sampled part, and to
ensure that the sample is not contaminated:
 Take samples from various spots on the farm
 Remove surface litter and dig a hole up to 22.5 cm deep.
 Break up the soil and mix well to make a composite soil sample of 1 kg.
Do not take samples from recently fertilized areas, roadsides, ditches, marshy patches, near trees
and non-representative areas.”



10. INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT

10.1 The farm must have an integrated waste management program for the waste products it
generates. This must be based on the concepts of refusing or reducing the use of
products that have actual or potential negative impacts on the environment or human
health as well as reusing and recycling waste. As part of this program, the sources and
types of waste must be identified and the quantity (weight or volume) must be
estimated. The activities of the integrated waste management program must be in
accordance with the types and quantities of waste generated.
Heavy metal waste (e.g. batteries) is disposed separately into a nylon bag. Those nylon bags are
sealed and labelled before being collected by the public waste collection system.

Waste that is not collected by public waste collection services (e.g. batteries domestically used in
torches or radios) is buried underground on the farms if no safer recycling system is available. Those
bury sites are in a far distance to any water source and body. Caution sign boards are established at
the bury area and the distances as defined in the Annex 1 of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard
are respected.

Additionally producers of certified farms refer to Decision No. 155/1999/QD-TTG of July 16, 1999
promulgating the Regulation on Management of HAZARDOUS WASTES.

Also consider the below recommendations from the NBFP guide:

“The first important step is to make sure waste is collected. Raising awareness about the importance
of waste management is an important first step in implementing this practice.
Farmers can put bags or buckets in different places on the farm; this is especially important during the
harvest when pickers are spending long days on the farm. In order to make waste collection as
effective as possible, the farm family could remind pickers every morning to make use of the bags and
walk around during the day to remind them about the collection. Once the waste is collected it can be
separated into different bins. People can also immediately separate their wastes in and around the
storage areas where separate waste bins are available.

Expensive separation systems are not required and the use of locally available materials should be
promoted. The following waste types can be separated:
1. Kitchen waste (organic)
2. Plastic
3. Paper
4. Metals
5. Empty chemical containers
6. Crop residues (organic)
7. Fertilizer bags
8. Other hazardous waste (e.g. empty batteries)

When handling inorganic matter over to persons and companies, it is important to make sure that:
 They are not dumping it into the environment.
 They are not incinerating wastes illegally.
 They are not reusing chemical containers for other purposes.



 Receipts are kept.

Organic waste becomes fertilizer when it is composted. There are different ways of composting:
 Normal composting without special treatment. The place where the composting is done
should not be too close to the house for hygienic reasons and it should have a roof to
prevent leaching.
 Small amounts of lime (3%), ash (5%) and manure (20%) can be added to improve the
quality of the compost and the decomposition process.
 Turn and mix the pulp every two weeks.
 Efficient Microorganisms (EM) can also be added. These are naturally occurring beneficial
microorganisms including phototrophic bacteria, yeast, lactic acid bacteria and fermentation
yeast. The benefits of EM include accelerating the fermentation process, reduced odors
and flies, increased humus content and better nutrient balance of the compost.
 Another frequently used method is vermicompost. Worms are added to accelerate
decomposition and improve the quality of the organic matter.
 The digested material contains much more nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than the
original material. Normally the California red earthworm (Eisensis foetida) is chosen for its
ability to easily adapt to the environment, breed and tolerate changes.

The use of open waste dumps and open-air burning of waste are considered to be bad practices.
In the design of final or semi-permanent waste disposal areas on the farm, the following measures
can be taken to reduce the risks of environmental contamination and harm to human health:
 A roof over the disposal area to prevent leaching from rain water.
 A fence around the disposal area for safety.
 Cover deposits with soil after pits are filled.
Do not deposit toxic wastes such as agrochemical containers and batteries in the disposal areas on
the farm.

The burning of waste products is only allowed in an incinerator designed for that purpose, based on
technical studies. Wastes emit toxic fumes when burned.

You can use an incinerator only with:
Technical studies to prove no contamination.
An appropriate location.
Legal permits.”



10.6 The farm must implement practices to diminish its emissions of greenhouse gases and
increase carbon dioxide sequestration. Such practices include soil cover management,
planting trees and other perennial vegetation, proper sourcing and management of
fertilizers and fuels, management of effluent ponds and manure, proper waste
management, use of clean technologies, improvement of energy efficiency, reduction in
tillage, and participation in local or regional initiatives aimed at greenhouse gas
reduction and carbon dioxide sequestration.
To limit greenhouse gases, certified farms:
- Don’t burn waste openly,
- Limit the use of artificial fertilizers, especially urea;
- Prefer organic fertilizers,
- Plant native cover crops,
- Plant native shade trees,
- Minimize open air anaerobic decomposition of waste water; reduce the methane emission of
waste water into the atmosphere,
- Increase the use of renewable energy sources vs. non-renewable sources.

Also consider the below recommendations from the NBFP guide:

“Inadequate waste management can be an important source of greenhouse gas production:

Gases escape when wastes are burned; this can be prevented by not burning. Organic gases escape
during composting. These can be reduced by the application of lime, EM and carbon-containing
materials such as straw to fix nitrogen and lower the production of volatile nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Wastewater from coffee de-pulping contains high levels of methane (CH4), which is formed in nature
by the bacterial decomposition of organic matter under water.
The production of biogas reduces the emission of gases into the atmosphere, because the digestion is
anaerobic, meaning that oxygen is absent. Anaerobic digestion is widely used as a source of
renewable energy. The process produces a biogas consisting of methane and carbon dioxide. This
biogas is captured and can be used directly as cooking fuel or in combined heat and power gas
engines”.


San local indicators coffee vietnam august 2012

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