Uganda pledges support to African coffee organisation
Rutega said processing, roasting and packaging coffee in Africa could increase its value from about $2 per kilogramme of raw beans to as much as $40 per kilogramme of finished products.
Processing, roasting and packaging coffee in Africa could increase its value from about $2 per kilogramme of raw beans to as much as $40 per kilogramme of finished products. (File)
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Uganda has reaffirmed its support for the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO)’s efforts to transform Africa’s coffee industry through increased value addition, regional trade and better returns for coffee-producing countries.
The commitment was made on October 28, 2026, when Uganda's Chargé d’Affaires in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Margaret Kafeero, met Ambassador Solomon Rutega, the IACO Secretary-General, at the Uganda Embassy in Addis Ababa.
The meeting focused on IACO’s newly opened office at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa and the implementation of a continental strategic framework aimed at strengthening Africa's position in the global coffee industry. IACO was established on December 7, 1960, by 11 African coffee-producing countries.
Rutega said the establishment of the office at the AU headquarters followed the union’s adoption of coffee as a strategic commodity after the 37th AU Summit, which endorsed the Kampala Declaration developed by the G25 African coffee-producing countries.
“While the global coffee sector generates over $465b annually, African producing countries currently receive less than $3b of that aggregate revenue,” Rutega said.
He said the new office would coordinate the implementation of the continental strategy and strengthen engagement between the AU, IACO and coffee-producing countries.
A key priority, Rutega added, is to increase local processing and move away from dependence on exporting unprocessed green coffee beans.
Rutega said processing, roasting and packaging coffee in Africa could increase its value from about $2 per kilogramme of raw beans to as much as $40 per kilogramme of finished products.
Kafeero welcomed the initiative, saying Uganda supported IACO’s expanded presence at the AU headquarters and the push to strengthen intra-African coffee trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
She said the continent’s integrated market of about 1.5 billion people presented an opportunity for African coffee-producing countries to expand trade among themselves and reduce dependence on traditional international supply chains.
Kafeero also highlighted the complementary positions of Uganda and Ethiopia in Africa's coffee industry.
She said Ethiopia, recognised as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, accounts for about 39% of Africa’s coffee production, while Uganda, the continent's leading coffee exporter, accounts for approximately 23%, with production largely driven by Robusta.
The two countries are among Africa’s major coffee producers, and their cooperation is expected to be important in advancing the continental framework.