• In Africa’s 25 major coffee producing countries, it is estimated that over 40 million people depend on coffee to a greater or lesser extent for their livelihood.
• In 1975, Africa exported about 18.5 million bags of coffee, more than 30% of global exports. By 2005, exports were at just 10.5 million bags, less than 12% of global exports.
• Improving the productivity and quality of its coffee is a vital way for Africa to increase rural incomes.
• Coffee has its origins in Africa, and its production goes back over 100 years.
• Over 90% of AFRICA’S coffee comes from small-holders, with typically 0.5 to 2.0 hectares of land.
• Improving coffee production can be the engine to enhancing general agriculture practices among small-holder farmers, and thus increase food production.
• Profitable coffee production will engage young people on the land and slow down the drift to the cities.
• Some of the finest coffees in the world come from Africa –confirmed by Ted Lingle, CEO of the SCAA at the Arusha Meeting of EAFCA.
• Africa’s cost of production of coffee is among the lowest in the world, and this could be further improved if productivity levels are improved.
• Global demand for coffee is estimated to reach about 140 million bags by 2015.
• Africa has 25 coffee producing countries, a wide diversity of production zones and qualities.
ABOUT CAFÉ AFRICA
The Association has been set up to reduce poverty in Africa by restoring coffee production by 2015, the date set by the Millennium Development Goals for poverty reduction.
Café Africa aims:
• to act as a catalyst to focus the vision of the industry in each country, and to bring the stakeholders to work together towards achieving that vision.
• to help organisations and companies to identify and agree the key points of intervention, and working to achieve the agreed objectives.
• to assist Africa, through the coffee industry work towards the Millennium Development Goal number 1 – eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.
• to find creative ideas and methods for rekindling interest in coffee production in Africa, especially among young people.
"We will have time to reach the Millennium Development Goals – worldwide and in most, or even all, individual countries – but only if we break with business as usual. We cannot win overnight. Success will require sustained action across the entire decade between now and the deadline…" United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi A. Annan