Author: Qahwa World |
Date: June 25, 2026
UNIDO and European Coffee Federation Sign Joint Declaration to Strengthen Sustainable African Coffee Value Chains
Key Takeaways:
- UNIDO and the European Coffee Federation signed a Joint Declaration in Brussels to promote sustainable transformation across African coffee value chains.
- The Declaration establishes a cooperation framework focused on climate resilience for smallholder farmers, improved traceability at origin, and sustainable investment.
- A Consultative Group will be established as a neutral, pre-competitive platform for knowledge exchange among traders, roasters, exporters, and development partners.
- The signing followed a high-level roundtable with representatives from DG INTPA, the ICO, IACO, illycaffè, Sucafina, and Volcafe.
- The ACT Coffee Programme will drive implementation through concrete activities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi.
- ECF Secretary General: “Sustainable coffee supply chains cannot be built by the private sector or by development agencies alone.”
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the European Coffee Federation (ECF) today signed a Joint Declaration at UN House Brussels, formalising a public-private commitment to promote sustainable transformation across African coffee value chains. The signing took place at the close of a high-level roundtable on “Sustainable Coffee Value Chains in Africa: A Public-Private Sector Dialogue,” convened with the participation of the European Commission’s DG INTPA, EU Member States, international organisations, and leading European coffee companies.
This Declaration comes at a critical time, as African coffee value chains face structural challenges ranging from climate change and weak infrastructure to limited access to finance, making public-private cooperation an urgent necessity to ensure the sector’s sustainability and improve the lives of millions of smallholder farmers across the continent.
A New Cooperation Framework Focused on Farmers and Sustainability
The Declaration establishes a structured cooperation framework between the two organisations, with a clear focus on supporting African coffee-producing countries, in particular smallholder farmers, to build climate resilience, improve traceability, and attract sustainable investment. A concrete outcome is the agreement to set up a Consultative Group serving as a pre-competitive, neutral platform for knowledge exchange among traders, roasters, exporters, and development partners.
Leaders: “Choosing Partnership Over Fragmentation”
Eileen Gordon Laity, Secretary General of the European Coffee Federation, said: “This Declaration formalises what the coffee sector has long recognised: sustainable coffee supply chains cannot be built by the private sector or by development agencies alone. Today, we reaffirm our shared commitment and take our collaboration one step further.”
Providence Mavubi, Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation, Officer-ad-Interim, UNIDO, emphasised: “With this Joint Declaration, UNIDO and the European Coffee Federation are choosing partnership over fragmentation — a shared commitment to the producers, traders, roasters, policymakers and consumers connected in a single value chain, and to the millions of farming families whose futures depend on how we act together. This is precisely the spirit that drives the ACT Coffee Programme: turning global cooperation into concrete change on the ground for Africa’s coffee communities.”
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| UNIDO | United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
| European Coffee Federation (ECF) | Representing Europe’s coffee industry |
| European Commission (DG INTPA) | International partnerships |
| International Coffee Organization (ICO) | Intergovernmental coffee body |
| Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) | Representing African producing countries |
| Private Sector Companies | illycaffè, Sucafina, Volcafe, Tchibo |
The Consultative Group: A Neutral Platform for Knowledge Exchange
The Consultative Group agreed upon will serve as a neutral platform bringing together different stakeholders across the coffee value chain, with the aim of sharing knowledge and expertise and developing concrete technical proposals and investment projects. This platform will help guide private sector engagement in coffee policy processes at both African and global levels, enhancing coordination among different initiatives.
High-Level Roundtable with Industry Leaders
The roundtable that preceded the signing brought together private-sector leaders from illycaffè, Sucafina, Volcafe, and Tchibo, alongside senior officials from DG INTPA, the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO), the embassies of Italy and Ethiopia to the European Union, and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA). This broad participation reflects the growing interest in enhancing the sustainability of African coffee value chains.
The ACT Coffee Programme: Driving Implementation
The ACT Coffee Programme (Advancing Climate Resilience and Transformation in African Coffee) will lead the implementation of the cooperation through targeted workshops and roundtables to develop concrete technical proposals and investment pipelines. The Programme, implemented by UNIDO and funded by the Italian Cooperation within the framework of Italy’s Mattei Plan and the EU Global Gateway Strategy, is currently active in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, with the potential to expand to other African coffee-producing countries.
Why This Declaration Matters for the Coffee Sector
This Declaration represents a significant step forward in public-private cooperation in the coffee sector. By combining UNIDO’s expertise in industrial development with the ECF’s representation of the European coffee industry (which accounts for approximately 90% of all coffee imported and processed in the EU), this partnership can create tangible impact in the lives of millions of smallholder farmers in Africa while enhancing the sustainability of global supply chains.
Frequently Asked Questions About the UNIDO-ECF Joint Declaration
Q: What is the main purpose of the Joint Declaration?
A: To promote sustainable transformation across African coffee value chains through public-private cooperation, with a focus on smallholder farmers.
Q: What are the key areas of cooperation?
A: Building climate resilience, improving traceability, and attracting sustainable investment in African coffee-producing countries.
Q: What is the Consultative Group?
A: A neutral platform bringing together traders, roasters, exporters, and development partners for knowledge exchange and developing concrete technical and investment proposals.
Q: What is the ACT Coffee Programme?
A: A UNIDO-implemented programme funded by Italian Cooperation, aiming to strengthen climate resilience and transformation in African coffee, currently active in five African countries.
Q: Which countries are currently covered by the programme?
A: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, with potential for expansion to other countries.
The signing of this Joint Declaration marks a pivotal moment in the development of Africa’s coffee sector. By bringing together political will, the expertise of international organisations, and the resources of the private sector, this partnership can help build more sustainable and equitable value chains, improving the lives of millions of farming families who form the backbone of Africa’s coffee industry.
Prepared and edited by: Qahwa World – Based on the press release from UNIDO and the European Coffee Federation, issued June 24, 2026.
All rights reserved. Republication with attribution permitted.
Publication date: June 25, 2026
