Uganda is set to host the 2nd G-25 Africa Coffee Summit scheduled for August 7th to 10th 2023 at Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo.
While speaking to journalists at Uganda Media Center on Thursday, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) Frank Tumwebaze said the goal of the G-25 Africa Coffee Summit is to address the challenges faced by the African coffee-producing countries.
The summit is also intended to promote value addition and domestic consumption in conjunction with educating people on coffee and its benefits to health.
“The theme for the Summit of the 25 African Coffee Producing Countries is “Transforming the African Coffee Sector through Value Addition.” This is in line with the theme of the 2023 African Union agenda that focuses on accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and also aligns with H.E the President’s repeated call on reducing trade in raw materials and increasing value addition to our produce,” he said.
According to the Minister, through the summit, the members will discuss and emphasize; the importance of Coffee Value addition in the Socio-Economic transformation of African Economies, marshal consensus of African Coffee Producing Countries’ leaders towards giving prominence to coffee as a strategic commodity under the AU Agricultural Agenda 2063.
They will also find ways of creating opportunities and synergies to expand regional coffee trade under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) lastly, they will share knowledge about the eminent danger that climate change poses on coffee and the need for continuous investment in Research, Innovation and Development so as to build resilient coffee varieties.
“The knowledge we gather from the G-25 Africa Coffee Summit will go a long way towards informing policy direction and formulation of appropriate strategies for promoting coffee production, enhancing inter-African coffee trade, promoting coffee consumption, cross-border investment and tourism among other benefits,” he said.
Why Uganda
According to Minister, Africa produces about 12 per cent of the world’s coffee and is the continent’s most important agricultural crop. But while Uganda is currently the leading coffee exporter in Africa, and the second-largest coffee producer in Africa, having exported over 5.76 million bags 60Kg worth USD 846 million in FY2021/22, much of this is unprocessed in the form of green beans.
The coffee value chain in Uganda supports over 5 million households (households) engaged in various coffee activities from production to export therefore, the privilege of hosting the 2nd Summit in Uganda gives coffee farmers and dealers an unrivalled opportunity to market Uganda’s coffee to African countries and deepen economic integration.
“As the President of Uganda H.E Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni continues to rally stakeholders in the coffee sub-sector to focus on value addition to increase income and support the Government’s economic agenda, I wish to challenge our coffee farmers, processors, and exporters to heed the President’s message so that we stop exporting raw coffee,” Hon. Tumwebaze said.
“As hosts, the spotlight is going to be on Uganda Coffee. We have many lessons to share with the rest of Africa and this is also an opportunity for us to learn and pick on best practices to adopt,” he said.
He noted that the knowledge that will be gathered from the G-25 Africa Coffee Summit will go a long way towards informing policy direction and formulation of appropriate strategies for promoting coffee production, enhancing inter-African coffee trade, promoting coffee consumption, cross-border investment and tourism among other benefits.
Meanwhile, so far, four Heads of State have confirmed participation in the Summit i.e. Ethiopia, Togo, Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea while Heads of State of Algeria, Malawi and Angola will be represented.
The summit is expected to bring together Heads of State, Senior Government Ministers, Heads of Coffee Authorities, Senior Ministers from African coffee-consuming countries and African private sector groups (Farmers, Processors, Exporters, Roasters and Coffee Associations).
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