World Coffee Producers Forum-Kigali
World Coffee Producers forum in KigaliThe 3rd World Coffee Producers Forum (WCPF) has convened in Kigali with participants proposing approaches that would bring good return on investment and make all players in the coffee value chain proud.
Taking place in Kigali city. The two-day conference comes to Rwanda after the 2nd edition of WCPF held in Campinas, Brazil in 2019.
The Forum is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2017 to analyze and address critical issues of common concern to growers across the globe.
With several coffee investors in attendance, the focus was on how to secure the future of a coffee sector where producers should be well-off, and creation of National Coffee Sustainability Plans.
The forum will also discuss how coffee producing countries should design and implement comprehensive coffee policies.
“While coffee firms are keen on expanding their customer base, reducing expenses, and increasing efficiency, coffee farmers still struggle to attain a fair share of the industry’s earnings,” Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Gerardine Mukeshimana said.
“In many places, coffee producers cannot even cover their cost of production for increased profits. It is therefore imperative that we secure increased revenues and enhance welfare for coffee producers.”
She pointed out that to establish and promote a thriving coffee trade environment, governments and stakeholders alike need to involve and engage all farmers in the coffee industry, coordinate them, and incentivize them by making sure that their basic needs are met.
The government’s promotion of domestic coffee consumption aims to help Rwandans profit from their production while also assisting them in raising the standard of their product.
“Made in Rwanda” expos featuring locally grown beans while coffee roasters are increasingly available in hotels and restaurants.
According to Claude Bizimana, CEO of National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), as far as Rwanda is concerned, “Drinking coffee is a culture. Many things are being done; youth creating jobs, establishing coffee shops, many people visiting the country. A lot of things are being done, for citizens to understand the culture of drinking coffee.”
The first thing, he said, is making sure that we have the best coffee, tasty to the client to find it worth the price he/she is being charged.
