The trend of developing agricultural production through farm models is growing, with expansions in scale and linkages with consumer units. However, there are not many models linking agricultural production with tourism, just a few scattered gardens offering grape and strawberry picking experiences. The large number of people drawn to the recent coffee festival linked with eco-tourism, organized by Búng Lao commune, shows a new direction connecting agricultural production with tourism.

Participating in the coffee festival, farmers competed in knowledge and skills related to coffee planting, care, processing, and harvesting; competed in ethnic cuisine preparation; experienced and toured the coffee processing procedures at the factory; and learned about and purchased typical agricultural products and OCOP products that were displayed and introduced. What made it even more special was that the venue for the coffee festival was the Đào viên sơn eco-tourism site, with its expansive and brilliant natural space and scenery, allowing residents and tourists to freely experience and sightsee. The coffee festival not only introduced and promoted coffee products and honored coffee growers, processors, and traders, but also created a green, environmentally friendly tourism space. Perhaps the opportunity to participate in experiences, competitions, and sightseeing was the main reason for attracting so many people and making the coffee festival linked with eco-tourism in Búng Lao a success.

Current agriculture is moving towards models of green, organic production, linked in a chain of production - processing - consumption. Several concentrated commodity production zones have formed in the province, such as rice production in the Mường Thanh basin, Shan tuyết tea in Tủa Chùa, macadamia in Tuần Giáo, coffee in Mường Ảng, and fruit trees. Some farms located in Mường Thanh ward, Thanh Yên commune, and Thanh Nưa commune have built models combining fruit tree cultivation and vegetable growing with animal husbandry, complete with retail stores and distribution points for exporting goods to markets. The Cara Farm green agriculture model in Bồ Hóng village, Mường Thanh ward, grows green-skinned pomelo and red-fleshed oranges using organic farming methods, creating clean, safe products with enhanced value. Visiting Huy Toan farm in Thanh Yên, where “chickens go to the bar, pigs leisurely listen to music,” one sees a closed-loop farming and animal husbandry process following organic and circular models. Tâm Đỏ Supermarket’s farm at C2, Thanh Yên commune, grows according to near-organic standards, ensuring strict cultivation and care processes to supply clean, high-quality agricultural products to the market. Similarly, the planting and processing of macadamia in Tuần Giáo commune has supplied and gradually built the brand for Điện Biên macadamia. Mường Ảng Arabica coffee, in particular, is highly regarded by many consumers for its delicious aroma. Mường Ảng coffee was introduced to National Assembly delegates at the 5th session (in 2023), and many delegates tasted it and praised its quality and flavor.

The distinctive flavor of Mường Ảng Arabica coffee is created by the climate and soil where the coffee trees are grown, the Mường Khoe valley, which is covered in fog year-round. Thanks to this, Mường Ảng Arabica coffee possesses a full range of flavors and a deep sweetness. However, according to those who have long been associated with coffee trees, to fully realize the value of Mường Ảng coffee, it requires good plant varieties, proper care and harvesting techniques (not picking when the cherries are too young or too old), and correct processing methods. This is also the challenge for developing sustainable agriculture and enhancing value.

Enhancing the value of agricultural production with effective models and new directions has been and is being encouraged by party committees and authorities at all levels, from central to local, through the creation of development mechanisms and policies. For Điện Biên, attracting tourists should not only focus on the complex of historical relics of the Điện Biên Phủ battlefield but also needs to expand to include visits and experiences of the scenery and the lives of the local ethnic peoples. And the model of experiencing agricultural production processes linked with tourism, learning about typical agricultural products, and the traditional cultures of ethnic groups is a trend that localities in the province need to seriously consider and research to build and develop appropriately for their areas.

Restructuring agricultural production, expanding valuable commodity production zones, developing OCOP products, and prioritizing key crops suitable for the local soil and climate are key tasks for the 2025 - 2030 period identified by Điện Biên province in the Resolution of the 15th provincial Party Congress. Converting inefficient crops to those with high economic value and linking production with processing and consumption has been and is being implemented in the province. The model linking agricultural production with eco-tourism is also a direction for sustainable agricultural development, enhancing efficiency and income.