African governments, international institutions, and private sector leaders have issued a strong call for coordinated action to safeguard the future of Africa’s coffee sector amid escalating climate and market changes at a high-level policy forum event held during African Coffee Week.
Held on Monday, 2 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the forum was organised by the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO), the African Union’s specialised agency for coffee, in collaboration with UNIDO, with the theme of “Advancing Climate Resilience and the Transformation of the African Coffee Sector”.
Opening the forum were senior representatives of the Ethiopian government, IACO member states, the African Union, UN agencies, and international partners, who underscored the strategic importance of coffee to Africa’s economies, livelihoods, and export earnings.
Discussions focused on five outcome-oriented policy panels, each aimed at producing actionable recommendations and investment pathways, as well panels focusing on social inclusion and sustainable livelihoods; value addition and industrial transformation; integration of scientific research; and climate resilience and adaptation.
The forum also included the official launch of African Coffee Sustainability Standards, led by the African Organisation for Standardisation, a milestone aimed at strengthening market access and regulatory alignment for African coffee producers.
The High-Level Policy Forum is anchored in the ACT Programme, Advancing Climate-Resilience and Transformation of the African Coffee Sector, a continental framework structured around five pillars: climate resilience, value addition, compliance with international market standards, research and knowledge sharing, and social inclusion.
