Industry leaders convened at the AFCA Conference in Dar es Salaam to tackle key challenges and explore opportunities for Africa’s coffee sector. Discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation and establishing a working group to drive sustainable growth.
From 26-28 February 2025, the 21st edition of the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, brought together key coffee champions. Featured during the 2nd Annual Coffee Week, this year’s Value Regeneration-themed AFCA conference showcased international and regional speakers, an exhibition hall, interactive workshops, exclusive cupping sessions, the Africa Barista Championship, and the regional Taste of Harvest competition.
As part of regional collaboration efforts under MARKUP II project, two high-level panel discussions took place with experts from Afreximbank, the Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (CRDB), National Microfinance Bank (NMB), traders, producers and public sector representatives from the East African Community (EAC).
- High trade costs and currency fluctuations affecting competitiveness.
- Non-tariff barriers, documentation hurdles, and regulatory misalignment.
- Limited access to finance for farmers and traders, highlighting the need for tailored financial products.
- The importance of domestic consumption and branding to expand into emerging coffee markets.
- Limited coordination at regional and pan-African levels to align regulations and policies for smoother coffee trade.
To strengthen regional collaboration and de-risk coffee trade, panelists emphasized opportunities such as increasing trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), improving trade infrastructure and financial instruments.
Alongside the panel discussions, a Policy Dinner engaged key stakeholders from public and private sectors in shaping the future of regional coffee trade. Discussions led to the proposal of a Regional Coffee Working Group under AFCA, aimed at fostering cross-border collaboration among coffee-producing nations.
The conference reinforced the urgent need for stronger regional public-private sector engagement to address trade barriers and unlock Africa’s coffee trade potential. As one participant noted, “It’s easier to trade with the rest of the world rather than within Africa. We must change this.”
MARKUP II remains committed to supporting the efforts of creating the Regional Coffee Working Group and ensuring discussions translate into tangible actions for regional coffee trade development under the value chain review mechanism component of the project./p>
