Global media company Bloomberg has released a documentary titled “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening,” highlighting the Vietnamese coffee brand’s efforts to promote Robusta coffee worldwide.
Vietnamese Robusta coffee featured on Bloomberg for the first time
Following the success of the Warner Bros. Discovery documentary “The Tao of Coffee” and a CNN feature article “The Tao of Coffee: From Beans to Beauty” in July, the documentary “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening” on Bloomberg continues to captivate international viewers.
The short film is airing across Asia-Pacific, the U.S., Europe and India, drawing international attention to Vietnam’s coffee industry.
Renowned worldwide for its in-depth coverage of economics, finance, and global consumer trends, Bloomberg offers an objective and realistic view of Trung Nguyen Legend’s journey to elevate the value of Vietnamese Robusta coffee on the global stage.
Though it lasts only three minutes long, “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening” captures the attention of international audiences with its vibrant and energetic scenes of Buon Ma Thuot and Vietnam’s coffee industry. The film also showcases the ambitious vision of Trung Nguyen Legend’s Founder and Chairman, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, as well as the company’s efforts to revitalize Vietnamese Robusta coffee and reclaim its place in the global coffee market with a US$20 billion vision.
A pioneer for the awakening of Vietnamese Robusta coffee
In the opening of “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening,” Bloomberg highlighted Buon Ma Thuot City in Dak Lak Province as a major hub for global Robusta coffee production, solidifying Vietnam’s position as the world’s second-largest coffee exporter. “So much of the world’s Robusta beans are grown in the Central Highlands that Vietnam is now the world’s second largest producer of coffee,” it said. Despite its value and versatility, Bloomberg noted that Robusta coffee has traditionally been undervalued compared to Arabica in the global market, stating “the value and versatility of Robusta haven’t always been reflected in its trading price, which has historically trailed that of Arabica.”
According to Bloomberg, the modest trading price of Robusta coffee undermines the recognition of Vietnamese coffee’s cultural significance and its global standing. This poses a significant challenge for the Vietnamese coffee industry.
With lush natural scenery, vast coffee plantations, and a diverse coffee ecosystem of Trung Nguyen Legend in the homeland of Vietnamese Robusta coffee—from coffee processing plants to coffee appreciation models and attractions such as the Coffee World, the Coffee Museum, and the Coffee City—Bloomberg’s short film guides audiences to explore the journey of “awakening” Vietnamese Robusta coffee by the leading coffee brand, aiming to “restore a balance between coffee-producing countries and coffee-consuming countries,” bringing Vietnamese coffee to the forefront of the international coffee culture.
Trung Nguyen E-Coffee, one of Trung Nguyen Legend’s three retail concepts, was highlighted by CNN in July 2024 as a prime example of the company’s vision to showcase the Vietnamese coffee culture to the world, alongside its G7 brand.
A US$20 billion vision for Vietnam’s coffee industry
Over a decade ago, at the World Economic Forum, Vu proposed “Seven initiatives for the global coffee industry,” which received enthusiastic support from experts across various fields worldwide. “Vietnam’s coffee industry could generate about US$20 billion a year if we learn to do better than we do now and develop a national strategy for the growth of the coffee sector,” he said.
Trung Nguyen Legend has been at the forefront of realizing the initiative to “rethink the concept of coffee”, promoting diverse styles, habits, and appreciation, and elevating the Vietnamese coffee industry to new heights. Not only is it the world’s leading exporter of Robusta coffee, but it is also leading the charge in creating a unique coffee culture and philosophy.
The company has helped to shift global perspectives on coffee. Coffee is not only about Arabica beans but also Robusta. It is not only about the American-style Italian coffee experience, but embraces Vietnamese, Turkish, Ethiopian styles, and more. It is not just about European and American brands, but values those from coffee-producing countries to create diversity within the unity of global coffee culture. Finally, coffee is not just a drink, but an experience and a way of life.
In “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening”, Bloomberg demonstrates the founder’s ambitious vision with statistical data from the International Coffee Organization. In 2024, the price of Robusta soared to a 45-year high, surging from around US$2,225 per ton to over US$5,000 per ton, peaking at over US$6,000 per ton.
Data from the first six months of 2024 shows that Vietnam’s coffee exports reached US$3.2 billion, a 34.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that coffee export revenue can exceed US$5 billion by the end of the year, potentially reaching US$6 billion, the highest level in history.
With strong global demand for Vietnamese Robusta coffee, the unique characteristics of Buon Ma Thuot’s Robusta beans, which “enable to blend harmoniously without losing their identity,” offer an opportunity for “the best Robusta beans in the world from Vietnam” to affirm their value. As Bloomberg states, “As Vietnam and the future of coffee become increasingly entwined, your next cup is never too far from the beans of Buon Ma Thuot.”
In the first half of the year, the export value of Vietnamese coffee surged in countries that are coffee powerhouses, such as Germany (up 37%), Italy (up 37%), China (up 44%), Japan (up 47%), Spain (up 82%), Indonesia (up 95%), and the Philippines (up 113%).
Bloomberg highlights Trung Nguyen Legend’s ambitious goal of realizing the US$20 billion vision through the firm’s efforts to awaken Vietnamese Robusta coffee, transforming the beans’ robust flavor into innovative “coffee products”, “coffee experiences” and “coffee lifestyle” that are loves and welcomed on a global scale.
G7 Coffee – a representative of the the awakening of Vietnamese Robusta coffee
With “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening”, Bloomberg recognized the G7 instant coffee brand as the representative brand that “awakens Vietnamese Robusta coffee,” pioneering the global introduction of Vietnamese coffee and “restoring balance between coffee-producing countries and coffee-consuming countries.”
Driven by a great ambition to bring fairness to coffee-producing nations like Vietnam, G7 has demonstrated its determination to conquer the group of G7 nations—symbols of developed, leading consumer countries worldwide – from its early days. The allure, uniqueness, and superior quality of G7 stem from the most flavorful Robusta beans from Buon Ma Thuot, combined with a focus on modern technology investment and a compelling marketing narrative about the young “David” who achieves the unimaginable, defeating the giant Goliath on his home turf. This has established G7 as a top Vietnamese coffee brand that not only meets global coffee consumption demands but also generates a wave of Robusta coffee consumption from coffee powerhouses.
G7 has a presence in over 100 countries and territories, with annual sales of 2.5 billion coffee packs. Ranked among the top five coffee brands in China by Discovery, G7 launched its new generation, G7 Gold, at the end of 2023. Featuring flavors from the three coffee civilizations of the Ottoman, Roman, and Zen traditions, G7 Gold is currently leading consumer trends and continuing to provide exciting experiences for coffee lovers around the globe.
In the concluding moments of the film “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening”, a representative of Trung Nguyen Legend said, “Chairman Vu’s prophecy has come true. Coffee is the solution for a more harmonious and sustainable future”. This sentiment echoes Bloomberg’s affirmation of the unique value of Vietnamese Robusta beans and Trung Nguyen Legend’s US$20 billion vision for the industry. “In Vietnam, coffee is more than a drink. It is also a future,” Bloomberg stated.
The documentary “Trung Nguyen Legend’s Vision for Vietnamese Coffee – The Robusta Awakening” is currently being broadcast on Bloomberg TV and across social media platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, and Bloomberg’s website in markets including Asia-Pacific, the U.S., the EU, and India until November 7, 2024. Please watch the documentary at: The Robusta Awakening
