With the SURE – Sustainable and Resilient Livelihoods for Women Coffee Producers project, CARE enhances women’s economic empowerment by increasing climate-resilient livelihood diversification for 2,000 ethnic minority farmers in coffee-growing districts in Son La province.

Background

Located in the northwest region of Vietnam, Son La province has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, at 23.9% (GSO, 2022). Arabica coffee is one of the key cash crops of the province for poverty reduction. Among approximately 18,836 hectares of arabica coffee (2022), Mai Son and Thuan Chau districts have the largest coffee cultivation areas in the province at present. However, rising temperatures, irregular rainfalls, and extreme weather events have directly impacted farmers’ productivity and income.

85% of Son La’s population is ethnic minorities, whose vulnerability to climate change is aggravated by poverty and marginalization. Given structural gender inequalities, they have limited access to knowledge, capital, social networks, and decision-making power to cope with climate change impacts. The unpaid care burden further restricts their time availability to upgrade their skills and pursue diverse sources of income. Despite these barriers, women play a substantial role in climate change adaptation due to their involvement in agriculture and gender roles as caregivers.

Given these contexts, livelihood diversification is key to improving community resilience for coffee-growing communities in Son La province, and ethnic minority women need to be part of the solution.

Objective of SURE

To enhance women’s economic empowerment by increasing climate-resilient livelihood diversification for 2,000 ethnic minority farmers in coffee-growing districts in Son La province. The goal is achieved through three main outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Ethnic minority women have increased climate-resilient productive capacity for new entrepreneurship and income-generating activities
• Outcome 2: They have increased access to financial resources to invest in climate-resilient alternative livelihoods
• Outcome 3: Ethnic minority women have increased leadership and decision-making in climate resilience

Key outcome metrics of SURE

• 1,070 households have income increased from new livelihood models
• 1,500 women have access to revolving loan funds through 60 livelihood groups
• 70% of women participants show greater decision-making capability in household livelihoods
• 4 women-led initiatives are supported to address water and sanitation issues
• 2,000 locals engage in community events and show support for women’s economic empowerment messaging
• 1,500 women and 500 men have the higher technical capacity to adopt climate-resilient agricultural livelihoods

Participants of SURE

Location

Mai Son & Thuan Chau districts, Son La province

Time

10/2023 – 9/2026

Donor