Coffee, brought to Vietnam by the French in the 19th Century was initially cultivated under the plantation model. Eventually though production was interrupted by the Vietnam war, coffee production became collectivized. This caused a reduction in yields and production. From the 1980’s reforms permitted privately owned businesses, followed by the formation of a large number of private companies focused on the large scale production of coffee. Vietnam has become the second largest coffee producer in the world. Very little high quality coffee is available in Vietnam, so most tastes flat, woody and lacks sweetness and character.