This year, Kigali will be hosting the 17th African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition (AFCC&E). The conference, which is currently the largest in Africa of its kind, will see well over 1,000 regional and international coffee roasters, traders, producers, professionals and other industry players show up in attendance.
The conference is being held under the theme Specialty Coffees at the Heart of Africa. The three-day conference serves as a platform for delegates and exhibitors from all over the world. The attendees will take part in discussions on how to raise the quality and competitiveness of coffee from member countries. This is in addition to helping grow existing coffee markets and securing new opportunities.
Coffee continues to play a leading role in the economy of Rwanda, and in the lives of many small producers and agribusinesses. It has contributed 19% of the country’s agricultural export value in the past 5 years. According to media reports, it has also added significantly to foreign exchange earnings, and increased revenue for rural economy.
The CEO at National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) Amb. George William Kayonga noted that the conference marks an important fete achieved by the brand Rwanda Coffee, which he added represents the country’s specialty and mark of origin.
The conference and exhibition is expected to be an opportunity for member countries to adopt policies that encourage transparency in coffee marketing and to establish long-term partnerships between private and public sectors, leading to the establishment of more efficient production and trade in African coffees.
Dialogue will include leveraging regional integration to improve intra-regional trade within AFCA countries, and strengthening farmer organizations and exporters. The annual conference, also Africa’s largest coffee trade platform, is hosted in rotation among its 11 AFCA member countries.
