On May 24, stakeholders in the coffee sector gathered in Nairobi for the first G25 African Coffee summit, where they raised concerns over the low consumption of coffee in Africa.
With Africa being the second most populous continent, it is surprising that only 30% of the population consumes coffee, despite producing 12% of the world's coffee.
According to Benson Apuoyo, deputy director at the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) in Kenya, the global coffee consumption continues to rise due to demand, but unfortunately, there is no growth in Africa.
"It is crucial to accelerate domestic consumption of coffee in the untapped markets in Africa for the general socio-economic development," Apuoyo said during the summit.
Kenya has started promoting consumption by opening up coffee houses at two universities, with plans to open more, and AFA is negotiating with five more universities to join the initiative.
Adugna Debele, Director-General of Ethiopia Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), noted that Africa consumes 9,800 metric tons of coffee annually, while Europe consumes 55,625 metric tons.
Debele urged governments to initiate innovative ways to make coffee appealing to populations, boost income for countries, and improve livelihoods for farmers.
Delegates at the summit called for the introduction of mobile coffee clinics in the countryside to promote consumption amongst populations.
