Africa’s Coffee Revolution: Transforming Raw Beans into Economic Opportunity
In a groundbreaking call for agricultural innovation, national leaders are pushing for a radical transformation of Africa’s coffee industry. The strategy aims to shift from low-value raw bean exports to high-value processed coffee products, potentially unlocking billions in economic potential.
Currently, Africa produces 50% of global coffee but captures less than 5% of the market’s total value. A stark economic disparity reveals that while raw coffee beans sell for approximately $2.50 per kilogram, processed and packaged coffee can fetch up to $40 per kilogram.
The upcoming G25 African Coffee Summit will be a pivotal moment for the continent’s economic strategy. Scheduled for February 2025 in Dar es Salaam, the summit will introduce the Dar es Salaam Coffee Declaration, a comprehensive plan to revolutionize the coffee sector.
Key objectives include:
– Increasing value addition in coffee exports
– Creating significant youth employment opportunities
– Enhancing intra-African trade
– Developing a competitive global market presence
“Africa is the birthplace of coffee. We must have pride in our product and ensure it contributes meaningfully to our economies,” national leaders emphasized. The initiative represents more than an economic strategy—it’s a movement towards economic independence and sustainable development.
By processing coffee locally before export, African nations could potentially transform a $2.5 billion annual export market into a much more lucrative economic engine, creating jobs and driving technological innovation across the continent.
