Tanzania urges African nations to invest in coffee value addition 

TANZANIA – Tanzania’s Minister for Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, has called for a fundamental shift in Africa’s coffee industry, urging producers to move beyond raw bean exports and embrace value addition to enhance economic opportunities. 

Speaking at the 3rd G25 African Coffee Summit in Dar es Salaam, Bashe emphasized the need for African nations to integrate coffee into their cultures and daily consumption habits, citing Ethiopia as a model example. 

“Tanzania produces some of the world’s finest coffee beans, but as African producers, we continue to trade raw materials rather than final products. The volatility of global coffee prices has reduced farmers’ interest in the sector. We must embed coffee in our daily culture and create more opportunities within the value chain,” he said. 

Bashe urged African coffee-producing countries to collaborate in transforming the sector, setting ambitious targets to diversify coffee-based products and unlock employment opportunities for young people.  

“The transformation of this sector cannot be successful in isolation. We must work together,” he stressed. 

He called for an end to the reliance on exporting raw beans and urged investment in local processing and value addition, a sentiment echoed by other ministers. 

“It’s alarming that while Africa exports coffee worth $3 billion, it imports coffee products valued at US$50 billion. We must set ambitious targets to increase our production to at least 20% of global output by 2030,” he added. 

Bashe further noted that Africa imports 500,000 tonnes of coffee annually for internal consumption, valued at US$6 billion.  

He said the continent must rethink its approach and invest in both small- and large-scale processing facilities across all coffee-producing and consuming countries to maximize the value chain and ensure farmers receive a fair share of the market. 

He highlighted the importance of intercontinental trade, emphasizing that Africa must harness its resources rather than depend on donor-driven initiatives.  

“Coffee is a symbol of excellence in African heritage. We should not be a donor-dependent continent; we must take control of our own economic destiny,” he stated. 

The G25 African Coffee Summit, themed “Unlocking Employment Opportunities for the Youth through Regeneration of the African Coffee Industry,” brought together representatives from 25 coffee-producing nations across the continent. 

Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) Secretary-General, Ambassador Solomon Rutega, announced a significant milestone: the African Union’s recognition of coffee as a strategic commodity under Agenda 2063.  

He stated that this development opens doors for greater investment and coordination across the continent. 

Ambassador Rutega reiterated IACO’s commitment to supporting value-addition initiatives, particularly through the establishment of coffee vocational training schools targeting youth and women. 

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