Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged African nations to take strategic steps in revitalising the continent’s coffee sector, emphasising the need to enhance value addition and reclaim Africa’s position in the global coffee market.
Speaking at the Third G25 Africa Coffee Summit, held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, President Samia commended the initiative, saying it was a crucial step towards fostering cooperation among coffee-producing nations.
“Africa must restore its place in the global coffee industry. It is time we rethink our strategies and focus on value addition instead of relying on raw exports,” she said.
The summit brought together representatives from 25 coffee-producing nations in Africa, focused on addressing sector-wide challenges, enhancing intra-African trade in coffee, and positioning the crop as a strategic commodity under the African Union (AU) framework.
President Samia stressed that Africa’s coffee sector is grappling with numerous challenges, including price volatility, limited processing capacity, and stiff competition in the global market.
However, she remained optimistic about the continent’s ability to turn the tide.
“Despite the hurdles, Africa is making progress in tackling these challenges. I believe this forum will play a vital role in strengthening our collective efforts to improve the industry,” she said.
Value addition a priority
A key takeaway from the conference was the need for African nations to shift from exporting raw coffee to processing at least 50 percent of their coffee output before export by 2035.
“Statistics show that coffee yields better returns when processed rather than sold as raw beans. Africa must establish more processing industries and invest in by-product manufacturing,” President Samia noted.
She further warned that continued reliance on exporting unprocessed coffee not only denies the continent much-needed revenues but also limits job creation opportunities for the youth.
“By exporting raw coffee, we are essentially shipping away jobs that our young people desperately need. We must change this narrative if we want a thriving industry,” she added.
The conference, attended by policymakers, industry experts, and stakeholders, discussed strategies to strengthen Africa’s coffee value chain, enhance farmers’ earnings, and expand market opportunities within the continent and globally.
Commitment to a stronger coffee sector
President Samia also urged governments and private sector players to support farmers by ensuring a stable market for their produce.
“For this industry to grow, farmers must have certainty in the market. A sustainable coffee sector means a secure livelihood for millions of Africans who depend on it,” she said.
With Africa accounting for a significant share of global coffee production, industry leaders at the conference pledged to deepen cooperation, promote sustainable farming practices, and improve coffee quality to increase competitiveness.
The conference marked a significant step towards repositioning Africa’s coffee sector, with stakeholders expected to develop actionable policies to boost production, processing, and market access in the coming years.
