Two African women display their coffee products at trade show
Two African coffee producers stand with Indian coffee roaster at trade show
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ITC and African robusta coffee at World of Coffee Dubai

1 marzo 2024
ITC News

ITC and ACRAM exhibit at World of Coffee Dubai 2023 to build commercial spaces for African Robusta coffee. 

African robusta positions itself at World of Coffee Dubai

In the ever-evolving landscape of the global coffee industry, robusta coffee is steadily gaining prominence. Once overshadowed by its more esteemed counterpart, arabica, robusta is experiencing a renaissance fueled by inflation, shifting consumer preferences, changing climate conditions, and a growing demand for sustainable and resilient coffee varieties.

For Africa, the resurgence of robusta presents a significant opportunity to leverage its natural advantages and to strengthen its position in the global coffee market.

With the continent already home to some of the world's largest robusta-producing countries, Africa has the potential to become a leading supplier of high-quality robusta coffee, catering to the growing demand from both domestic and international markets.

At this year’s edition of World of Coffee Dubai, ITC’s Alliances for Action collaborated with the Agency for African and Malagasy Robusta Coffees (ACRAM) to promote African robusta coffees to Gulf Council countries (GCC). Together, they attended with 12 small and medium enterprises from six West and Central Africa countries, whom they are supporting through the ACP Business-Friendly programme.

The trade show had a remarkable turnout this year, with more than 13,000 specialized visitors from across the industry. This marked a 30% growth from last year, with visitors numbering nearly four times that of the inaugural edition of the event.

This year’s edition mainly focused on the sustainability of the coffee industry, while fostering consumer coffee culture by providing well-rounded educational platforms covering coffee varieties and roasting and brewing methods.

It was inspiring to see the amount of interest in my coffee at the tasting session. Now that interest has been generated, we need to work on scaling up volume and encourage farmers to continue their good work.
It was inspiring to see the amount of interest in my coffee at the tasting session. Now that interest has been generated, we need to work on scaling up volume and encourage farmers to continue their good work.
Josephine Francis, CEO
Arjay Farms
Liberia
Liberia
The event itself, and the visits to local coffee shops, breweries, and the DMCC helped us realize at COCOI Café that if strategically positioned, the Petit Kwilu variety has a great chance of success. We have made some crucial contacts that will allow us to enter this market with strategies that will benefit coffee farmers.
The event itself, and the visits to local coffee shops, breweries, and the DMCC helped us realize at COCOI Café that if strategically positioned, the Petit Kwilu variety has a great chance of success. We have made some crucial contacts that will allow us to enter this market with strategies that will benefit coffee farmers.
Willy Kanyinda Kadima,
Cocoi Café
Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
This mission to Dubai was a success in terms of links with the market and visiting the DMCC. It’s a very inspiring model for ACRAM, as an aggregator and model for integrated market solutions. At this year’s show, despite the predominance of specialty arabica coffees, robusta coffees from our countries attracted a great deal of interest from buyers. Nevertheless, quantity and quality must follow if we are to exist in this market.
This mission to Dubai was a success in terms of links with the market and visiting the DMCC. It’s a very inspiring model for ACRAM, as an aggregator and model for integrated market solutions. At this year’s show, despite the predominance of specialty arabica coffees, robusta coffees from our countries attracted a great deal of interest from buyers. Nevertheless, quantity and quality must follow if we are to exist in this market.
Ismael Ndjewe, Executive Secretary
ACRAM
Gabon
Gabon
My participation in World of Coffee Dubai was a personal goal to promote the origin of Liberica coffee, and to find partners who could co-invest in my business in terms of volume and profitability. We were delighted to put Liberia back on the coffee map. This trip convinced me of the need to have a local value-added model and to focus on the quality and traceability of my coffee.
My participation in World of Coffee Dubai was a personal goal to promote the origin of Liberica coffee, and to find partners who could co-invest in my business in terms of volume and profitability. We were delighted to put Liberia back on the coffee map. This trip convinced me of the need to have a local value-added model and to focus on the quality and traceability of my coffee.
Sangai Brisbane, CEO
Brisco Inc
Liberia
Liberia

Partnerships for growth

ITC and ACRAM selected 15 participants from 12 small businesses across six African countries to exhibit at the event. These are direct and indirect partners of the ACP Business-Friendly programme being implemented in Africa’s coffee sector on behalf of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

Across the brands, potential partnerships were discussed with Fresh Express LLC – a major supplier of coffee and other beverages in Dubai, Radisson Hotel Group, and KASO – the leader in online HORECA sales in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

A rising star discovered at the event was DRC’s ‘Petit Kwilu’, a robusta variety that has the potential to put the country on the fine robusta map, echoing the success of its prized arabica coffees in the specialty coffee segment. COCOI Café, who carries the variety, made some strategic contacts that will help them position the variety on the market.

Dubai’s state-of-the-art DMCC Coffee Centre was another connection explored, as a potential hub for coffees from ACRAM’s member network. The Centre markets several varieties of coffee from the main producing regions of Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.

Participants were taken on a guided tour of the centre, providing them with a snapshot of it one of the world's leading coffee trading centres and a better understanding of the possibilities that lay ahead for them.

About the projects

The ACP Business-Friendly Programme is funded by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and jointly implemented by ITC’s Alliances for Action, the World Bank and UNIDO. It seeks to improve the ability of agribusiness firms in ACP countries to compete, grow and prosper in domestic, regional and international markets. Through the Alliances for Action approach, it promotes inclusive and sustainable agricultural value chains that value all stakeholders from farm to shelf.