Prosperous Farmers and Forests Partnership
The Prosperous Farmers and Forests Partnership (PFFP) is a collaboration between WWF and the Danish coffee company Slow that aims to restore nature in Vietnam through a regenerative agroforestry model that improves local livelihoods and provides European corporate customers with nature-positive coffee.
What's the project about?
Unsustainable coffee production causes deforestation and undermines biodiversity. At the same time, coffee production is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as drought, heat, and landslides caused by storms.
Through regenerative agroforestry, PFFP works to mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance biodiversity on smallholder coffee farms. The project will also contribute to income increases from high–quality coffee for smallholders and support inclusive private sector development.
The four-year project began in July 2023, and it is implemented in the mountainous region of central Vietnam bordering Laos by WWF Vietnam and Slow, with WWF Finland and WWF Denmark as the supporting partners. Funding comes from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Danida Green Business Partnerships (DGBP) programme and Slow.
What does WWF do?
WWF provides smallholder farmers with shade tree seedlings to support the transition from monoculture plantations to agroforestry, in which coffee is grown among native trees and fruit trees. The shade and shelter provided by the trees maintain a favourable microclimate and support local biodiversity, while their roots help retain moisture in the soil. The trees also provide a vital habitat and food sources for birds and other species, forming important wildlife corridors.
WWF trains farmers in agroforestry cultivation as well as sustainable coffee farming and harvesting methods. To protect natural forests surrounding the coffee farms, WWF works with local communities to restore degraded forest areas and develop sustainable non-timber forest value chains. Information boards are installed in forest areas at high risk of encroachment, landslides, and forest fires. WWF Finland is responsible for overall project management and quality assurance. WWF Finland also works closely with WWF Vietnam and Slow to ensure alignment in joint project implementation by all partners.
Achievements
By the end of 2025, the project has:
- initiated the transition to regenerative agroforestry on 900 hectares of coffee farmland.
- supported over 600 smallholder farmers in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
- brought 18,000 hectares of natural forest under improved protection and forest management.
- supplied patrolling equipment to over 20 community forest management groups and provided first aid training and instruction in the use of GPS devices.
- established buffer zones stretching over 2 kilometres between farmland and natural forest.
