ITALY: TANZANIA has invited Italian firms to invest in the country’s coffee production and help increase its value chain.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo made the invitation in Rome, Italy where Italy and the European Union hosted a joint event to reinforce collaboration with Africa.
Also attended the conference, included the major coffee companies such as Illy and Lavazza, financial institutions like IFC and CDP, as well as representatives from FAO and IFAD.
The event served as a platform to outline and further coordinate efforts in implementing Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa and the EU’s Global Gateway (GG) initiative —two complementary strategies designed to foster tailored partnerships that address the specific needs of African nations.
Speaking at the conference, Minister Kombo called on stakeholders to increase investments in the coffee value chain across the continent. “With prosperity in Africa, we can address climate challenges, as the vast forests on the continent serve as essential tools for carbon sequestration. Moreover, increasing coffee production can strengthen environmental protection efforts while creating job opportunities for youth,” he said.
Minister Kombo highlighted the favourable investment environment for coffee cultivation in Tanzania and invited stakeholders to invest in the production and value addition of the crop, which is abundant in the country. This, he emphasized, would help improve farmers’ incomes. “Lavazza and Illy always talk about coffee beans turning into beverages, but they don’t talk about the journey from the land to the bean because without the bean, there is no Lavazza, no Illy.”
“Let’s not be political. Let’s put in place an action plan, set timelines for implementation, and ensure we meet those deadlines. This is achievable,” Minister Kombo stressed.
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Additionally, the Executive Secretary of the InterAfrican Coffee Organization, Solomon Rutega, commended Tanzania for successfully hosting the G25 Coffee Conference, whose resolutions to add value to coffee from cultivation, processing, seed roasting, and reaching the final consumer align with the goals of Italy-Africa cooperation in the coffee sector.
