By Buwule Joseph Mary
Uganda’s State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Fred Kyakulaga Bwino, has called for stronger cooperation among African coffee-producing nations to ensure the continent benefits more from its vast coffee wealth.
Hon. Kyakulaga made the remarks during the first High-Level Meeting convened in Marrakech, Morocco, bringing together ministers and high representatives from major African coffee-producing countries to lay the foundation for a Regional Coffee Value Chain in Africa.
According to the Minister, the meeting reflected a collective commitment among African nations to promote the sustainable development of the coffee sector as a key driver of agricultural prosperity, improved rural livelihoods, and regional economic integration.
“I joined fellow Ministers and High Representatives of the main African coffee-producing countries at the first edition of the High-Level Meeting convened to lay the foundations of a Regional Coffee Value Chain in Marrakech, Morocco,” Hon. Kyakulaga stated.
He noted that despite Africa contributing a significant share of the world’s coffee production, the continent continues to earn only a small portion of the global coffee value due to the continued export of unprocessed green coffee.
The Minister observed that much of Africa’s coffee is exported without traceability systems, standardization, and internationally recognized certification, factors that continue to limit access to premium and high-value markets.
“We note that although Africa produces a significant share of the world’s coffee, it continues to capture a limited share of its value due in particular to the majority export of unprocessed green coffee,” he said.
Hon. Kyakulaga emphasized that the time has come for African countries to work together to fully exploit the immense potential within the coffee sector, commonly referred to as “green gold.”
“It’s time we hold hands as Africans to fully exploit the potential in this green gold,” he added.
The Minister also applauded the organizers of the initiative, particularly Africa Coffee Hub, for championing what he described as a futuristic idea aimed at transforming Africa’s coffee industry through value addition, regional cooperation, and enhanced market access.
The meeting is expected to pave the way for stronger collaboration among African coffee-producing nations in areas of processing, certification, branding, and export competitiveness as the continent seeks to secure a bigger share of the global coffee economy.