Officials underscore need for coffee excellence centers to catalyze sector growth

Addis Ababa, March 8, 2024 (FBC) – At the 4th National Coffee Symposium, high-ranking officials converged to chart a transformative path for Ethiopia’s coffee industry, ENA reported.

Organized by the Coffee and Tea Authority, this convening catalyzed multi-stakeholder synergies under the theme “Stakeholder Alliance for Ethiopian Coffee Industry Rejuvenation.”

Education Minister Birhanu Nega articulated the pressing need for dedicated coffee excellence centers to spur quality and productivity gains.

Despite coffee being the bedrock of the national economy, he said that Ethiopia’s yield lags behind leading producers like Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, who have harnessed research-backed interventions.

“Our nation, in tandem with industry stakeholders, must establish specialized centers of excellence that spearhead pioneering research across the coffee value chain,” Birhanu stressed.

Modernizing production and marketing systems to elevate the sector’s value proposition and enshrine its preeminence, he added.

Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Director-General Adugna Debela underscored Ethiopia’s global standing, ranking 5th in production and 9th in exports.

However, he noted that 60 percent of exported coffee falls under the commercial grade, fetching meager revenues. “By augmenting our specialty coffee offerings, we can unlock exponentially higher returns across the value chain,” Adugna asserted.

Dilla University President, Chirotaw Ayele announced plans to establish the Yirgacheffe Coffee Research Institute Center on 15 hectares of land.

Highlighting coffee’s profound socio-cultural significance, he affirmed the university’s commitment to advancing the crop through research, teaching, and community engagement.

Construction Minister Chaltu Sani, also chairing Dilla University’s executive board, echoed the pivotal role of excellence centers in preserving Ethiopia’s global coffee prestige.

She envisioned these hubs as catalysts for innovation, skill development, and facilitation of the industry’s transformation.

The symposium spotlighted an imperative: scaling centers of excellence, especially in coffee-growing regions, to address bottlenecks, drive income growth, and position Ethiopian coffee as a formidable global contender through cutting-edge research and human capital development.