Workshop on Fostering Integration of the Ethiopian Roasted Coffee Value Chain into Regional Value Chains

Coffee is an important agricultural commodity for Ethiopia. It employs more than 20% of the economically active population and contributes more than 25% of the country's foreign exchange earnings. Ethiopia grows a wide range of Arabica coffees most of which are trademarked varieties, with the rights owned and protected by the government of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian coffee is exported all over the world, mostly as green beans. Ethiopian producers thus seize only a limited share of the value-added by their coffee. Exporting roasted coffee generates much more welfare gains for Ethiopian producers and local communities relying on coffee activities. Several challenges need to be tackled to allow Ethiopian producers to increase their export of roasted coffee.

For these reasons, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia participates in UNCTAD's project "Integrating Landlocked Commodity Dependent Developing Countries into Regional and Global Value Chains", funded by the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund.

This workshop is an activity of the project. The objective of this hybrid workshop (virtual and in-person) is to contribute to policy discussions with the different stakeholders from the public and private sectors, International Organizations and others in order to strengthen the roasted coffee value chain for export in Ethiopia.

The empirical and analytical findings of the project will be presented. Both project surveys will be reviewed, with a specific focus on the analysis of the roasted coffee value chain in Ethiopia, the review of the potential demand for Ethiopian roasted coffee in emerging markets worldwide, the "best business practices" developed by roasted coffee exporters in other coffee-producing countries, such as Colombia, and the key recommendations to public and private stakeholders involved in the roasted coffee export value chain in Ethiopia.

The recommendations of the survey target both public and private stakeholders involved in Ethiopia's roasted coffee industry. They are meant to inform decision-making regarding changes within this industry, and to contribute in fostering growth in Ethiopia's roasted coffee exports as a vehicle to achieve further value addition to coffee, enhanced employment and income to sector stakeholders, as well as to improve the positioning of Ethiopia in the international coffee market.