speaker-photo

Paul Rooke

Executive Director, British Coffee Association

Paul Rooke, Executive Director of the British Coffee Association, said: “The British Coffee Association warmly welcomes the UK’s signing of the 2022 International Coffee Agreement, demonstrating a real commitment from the Government to the future success of our industry. This new agreement seeks to strengthen the role of the private sector, within its overall objectives for a commercially and environmentally sustainable coffee industry. Promoting consumer choice by maintaining a diverse range of coffee origins, while underpinning the need for a profitable income for producers, is an ambition which BCA works towards in close co-ordination with industry and other coffee associations. We see ICO, and this updated agreement, as key components of delivering that ambition, and look forward to working with Government Departments and colleagues at ICO to ensure the UK plays a central role in securing a positive future for coffee.”

15:10

DAY 1 - 08 SEPT 2023 Afternoon | Agribusiness | Coffee Session

Session 4 | MARKET DEVELOPMENT, PARTNERSHIPS,OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, AGRO-FOOD EXPORTS AND THE POTENTIAL OF COFFEEVALUE ADDITION

Value addition in agriculture presents an opportunity to integrate the Ugandan agriculturalsector with the international food processing industry. A well-developed food processing sectorwith a higher level of processing will aid in the reduction of waste, enhance value addition,encourage crop diversification, and provide producers with a higher return.

  • Where are the opportunities in agri-finance, agri-tech, mechanization, and agri-value chain.
  • How can Ugandan exporters access the highly regulated UK market.
  • Where are the present investment gaps to boast; commerce expansion anddiversification; sustainable/efficient cooperatives; Industrialization that isecologically sustainable and technological advancement
  • Where are the opportunities in the agro-ecosystem as a continuum to extendfrom the farm to value-added processing to grocery store shelves forinternational markets.
  • It is therefore key to resolve the infrastructure deficits supporting the agro-foodprocessing industry, and to improve post-harvest and marketing infrastructure
  • What are the legal, regulatory, policies and other institutional frameworks tosupport the agricultural sector?
15.10

DAY 1 - 08 SEPT 2023 Afternoon | Agribusiness | Coffee Session

Coffee focused discussions:

  • Should Uganda establish a market intermediary between local andinternational coffee players, such as through large-scale marketingagreements with roasters with direct customer access, such asNestle, Mondelez, Tchibo, or Starbucks, to carry Uganda's reputation incoffee sales globally?
  • Will Investments in value-chain upgrades and marketing investmentsincrease and affect the premiums earned by Arabica, whereas similarinvestments for Robusta have a more limited effect? The higher thequality of Arabica produced and successfully marketed, the greaterthe margin available throughout the value chain and the easier it is forfarmers to increase their incomes.
  • Less and less awareness of Uganda's Arabica quality has impacted itsprice position over time, resulting in lower revenue for the sector,lower foreign currency earnings, and lower farmer income. How canUganda's coffee industry improve its market positioning and pricing;and enhance quality management across the value chain?
  • Uganda should emulate Kenya and Colombia and focus on market-based outreach and direct contracts, transforming the Ugandancoffee industry from one that pushes its coffee into the world marketand sets the prices, to one that is attracted to the world market byconsumers and traders it affect prices?
  • To become an essential player in the Arabica market, should Ugandafocus its coffee development primarily on Arabica, as largeinternational consuming markets like China move towards Arabica?
  • Despite being relatively unknown and underrated, Uganda's premiumcoffees meet the needs of roasters and trading companies seekingnew supplies from so-called frontier countries in Africa to meet thedemand for additional volumes and unique and original marketingstories.
  • How can Uganda grow its share among Western importers, roasters,and dealers, secure better selling prices and brand names andimprove their market perception of their coffee?
  • How can farmers and exporters sustain globally accepted standardsand environmental certification, and how will the new EU policy ondeforestation affect Ugandan coffee farmers in the near future?