Key points
- Spirit of Coffee 2.0 plans a two-day conference to promote coffee as a strategic global commodity.
- Organisers say the event will explore coffee’s value chain and its economic potential for Africa.
- The conference aims to strengthen trade and cultural ties between Africa and the Arab world.
- The event will feature industry discussions, a baristas’ championship, exhibitions and networking opportunities.
Main story
Spirit of Coffee 2.0 has announced plans to host a two-day conference in Abuja aimed at promoting coffee as a strategic international commodity and strengthening Africa’s role in the global coffee value chain.
According to the organisers, the event will examine how coffee production, processing and trade can contribute to economic growth, increase foreign exchange earnings and expand the contribution of the sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of coffee-producing countries.
President of the group, Larry Lean, said the initiative seeks to strengthen commercial and cultural ties between Africa and the Arab world through the shared heritage of coffee.
He said the conference would also promote value addition within Africa by encouraging the processing of coffee locally instead of exporting raw beans for refinement abroad.
Lean noted that the platform would showcase African creativity, enterprise and craftsmanship while positioning the continent more competitively in the global coffee industry.
He described the event as a meeting point for trade, innovation and cultural diplomacy, bringing together stakeholders from government, business, academia and the creative sector.
Activities scheduled for the conference include high-level panel discussions, a national baristas’ championship, art exhibitions and a gala dinner.
The organisers said the event, scheduled for Nov. 18 and 19 at the Arts and Culture Centre in Garki, Abuja, is expected to attract diplomats, coffee merchants, academics, media practitioners and representatives of public and private institutions.
Spirit of Coffee 2.0 is organising the conference in partnership with the West Africa Specialty Coffee Association (WASCA) and Naeche Communications Ltd.
The issues
Africa remains one of the world’s major coffee-producing regions but captures only a small share of the industry’s value due to limited local processing and manufacturing. The conference seeks to promote greater value addition and regional collaboration.
What’s being said
“The initiative seeks to reverse the trend where coffee leaves Africa’s shores as raw commodity and returns as finished luxury elsewhere.” — Larry Lean, President, Spirit of Coffee 2.0
What’s next
Preparations will continue ahead of the Nov. 18–19 conference, where stakeholders are expected to discuss strategies for expanding Africa’s participation in the global coffee economy.
Bottom line
The planned conference aims to position coffee as a driver of trade, industrialisation and cultural exchange while encouraging Africa to capture more value from one of its most important agricultural commodities.
