By RNA Reporter
Kigali: This week Rwanda will host the 17th African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition (AFCC&E), the largest coffee conference in Africa, and the second time Rwanda has hosted the event. The event will be held at the Kigali Convention Center under the theme, “Specialty Coffees at the Heart of Africa”.
The annual conference, hosted in rotation among its 11member countries, is Africa’s largest coffee trade platform that brings over 1,000 regional and international coffee roasters, traders, producers, professionals and connoisseurs under one roof. During the conference, the Rwanda Chapter, which last hosted the event in 2009, and the AFCA Board of directors will officially launch a series of activities attached to this important event.
Delegates and exhibitors come from all over the world to discuss actions that will raise the quality and competitiveness of coffee from member countries, helping grow existing coffee markets and securing new opportunities. AFCA Member countries include Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“Coffee continues to play a leading role in the economy of Rwanda, and in the lives of many small producers and agribusinesses. It has contributed19% of the country’s agricultural export value in the past 5 years, adding significantly to foreign exchange earnings, and to the monetisation of the rural economy. Today, our journey continues with Rwanda Coffee: “A Second Sunrise” brand which represents our speciality coffee and mark of origin”, noted Amb. George William Kayonga, the Chief Executive Officer at National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB).
It is expected that this conference and exhibition will 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.
Delegates from 21 countries and well renowned coffee companies will have an opportunity to taste Rwanda Coffee, undertake field visits and a tour of cutie of Kigali.
About AFCA: African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) is a regional coffee association with its Headquarters in Kampala, Uganda. Membership represents countries from Burundi, Cameroon, DR. Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Membership consists of private and public sectors specialty coffee stakeholders including producers, exporters, importers, roasters, policymakers, transporters, trade representative, and others.
About NAEB: National Agricultural Export Development Board, abbreviated as “NAEB” is a commercial public institution established by the law No 13/2017 of 14/04/2017 in the framework of regulating and promoting the development and growth of Agriculture and Livestock export commodities in Rwanda, as well marketing them worldwide.The head office of NAEB is located at Gikondo, KK 530 St, in the City of Kigali, the Capital of the Republic of Rwanda. (End)