Economic, social and environmental benefits of coffee intercropping: evidence from Dak Nong Province, Vietnam

Purpose. This paper assesses the performance of different coffee farming systems in practice in the former Dak Nong Province of Vietnam, where farmers are increasingly adopting intercropping to diversify their income and manage production risks. Methodology. Based on survey data from 280 households, this study employs descriptive statistics, value added analysis, regression modelling, and carbon stock estimation to provide a comparative assessment of coffee monoculture with three intercropping models: coffee-durian, coffee-pepper, and coffee-avocado. Unlike previous studies that typically examine either economic or environmental performance in isolation, we jointly evaluate economic, social, and environmental outcomes across intercropping models for a more comprehensive comparison of their overall sustainability. Results. The results showed clear advantages of diversification over monoculture coffee. Coffee–durian farms generate the highest gross returns and profits, while coffee–avocado farms offer notably strong capital utilisation efficiency and labour productivity, which makes them suitable for households with limited labour resources. Intercropping also raises household income and creates more opportunities for hired labour, especially in coffee–durian systems. In environmental terms, adding fruit trees significantly increases standing biomass and carbon stocks: coffee–durian systems store approximately 4.1 times more and coffee-avocado systems store approximately 2.7 times more carbon than monoculture plots. Originality. This paper provides the first integrated, farm-level quantitative comparison of profitability, labour outcomes, and carbon sequestration across major coffee intercropping systems in Dak Nong, linking economic efficiency with climate-mitigation co-benefits. The best intercropping system depends on farmers’ constraints: capital-constrained households benefit more from coffee–avocado, while profit-oriented farmers achieve better results from coffee–durian. Moreover, only tree-based systems generate significant climate benefits, suggesting that economic and environmental objectives may not always align. Practical implications. The findings suggest that promoting well-managed coffee intercropping, particularly with durian or avocado, can support more resilient livelihoods while contributing to climate mitigation goals. Policy support should focus on providing technical guidance, access to credit, and market development to help farmers adopt and maintain these systems effectively.