African leaders have outlined ambitious plans to transform the coffee industry at the third G25 African Coffee Summit.
The theme of the summit, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was ‘Unlocking Employment Opportunities for Youth Through the Regeneration of the African Coffee Industry’.
The summit brought together leaders from 25 African coffee-producing nations, including Heads of State, Ministers, industry experts, and private sector stakeholders.
A key outcome of the summit was the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Declaration, a strategic framework designed to revitalise Africa’s coffee sector. The declaration outlines ambitious targets, including increasing Africa’s share in global coffee production from 11 per cent to 20 per cent by 2030, expanding trade among African nations from 15 per cent to at least 50 per cent by 2030, and ensuring at least 50 per cent of Africa’s coffee is processed within the continent by 2035 to maximise job creation.
With coffee officially recognised as a strategic commodity under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the sector is gaining greater prominence in the continent’s economic agenda.
The Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO), which played a central role in the summit, has been formally integrated into the African Union as a specialised agency. This move is said to strengthen Africa’s collective efforts in policy coordination, market development, and sustainability initiatives within the global coffee industry.
The summit concluded with the announcement that Ethiopia will host the fourth G25 African Coffee Summit in 2027, where progress on these commitments will be assessed.
