AFRICAN FINEREVIEW COFFEES MAGAZINE January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 NEW AFRICAN COFFEE BREEDING HUB IN RWANDA BEYOND THE COFFEE BEAN: A FAIR TRADE INNITIATIVE STRONG BLACK COFFEE: PHYLLIS JOHNSON’S TAKE AMIR HAMZA TANZANIA COFFEE BOARD POLICY CHANGES IN TANZANIA’S COFFEE INDUSTRY & DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION AS THE FUTURE OF AFRICA’S COFFEE African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 1 2 African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 13 15 30 12 34 IN THIS ISSUE 08 | Policy changes in the Tanzania’s coffee industry & domestic consumption as the future of Africa’s coffee 12 | AFCA Takes it’s members to China 13 | Rwanda coffee, first beneficiary of the launched Alibaba’s eWTP. 14 | A new African coffee breeding hub in Rwanda opens to benefit production throughout Africa 16 | Beyond the coffee bean; New frontiers in improving coffee producers livelihoods through Fairtrade. 18 | The 4th International Coffee Day. 19 | Rwandan coffee industry growing sustainably 22 | AFCA Coffee Programs: A message from the Chief Operations Officer 24 | International Women in Coffee Alliance Uganda Chapter in a new lens 26 | Strong Black Coffee: Why aren’t African-Americans more prominent in the coffee industry? 30 | Rwanda’s Ngororero coffee washing station awarded both “Best of the Best” & “Coffee Lover’s Choice” honors in Third Annual Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award. 31 | We need to talk more about price 32 | Coffee prices on a downward trend pushed excess supply and the strong pace of exports 33 | SCA launches initiative to address coffee price crisis and appoints new ED. 34 | 2018 AFCA Coffee Safari to Rift Valley and Mt. Elgon Region 39 | Special visits to the AFCA Secretariat 41 | Africa Coffee Academy’s Mentorship and Training Programme: 44 | AFCA on social media WRITERS’ 16 BEYOND THE 06 PROFILES COFFEE BEAN Meet some of our New frontiers in contributers for this improving coffee issue. producers livelihoods. African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 3 A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR surplus, as global output, estimated second breeding hubs after the first at 167.47 million bags, exceeds world one located in Central America. The consumption, estimated at 165.18 Breeding Hub serve as centralized million bags. This excess in supply locations for countries in each region continues to put downward pressure to access breeding populations, on prices. International coffee prices expertise, and materials that can be touched a 57- month low in August utilized to create new coffee varieties 2018, continuing a downward spiral. for the benefit of local producers Even though the prices recovered in each country or region. The hub marginally, the prices have remained is expected to generate the next low to-date. We have reviewed generation of coffee varieties that the market situation and have an will be adapted to various growing in-depth article on the same in this conditions in Africa and sustain the issue. industry’s genetic and breeding pools. We acknowledge WCR effort in The World Coffee Producers Forum, venture. which was held in Colombia in July 2017, has continued to offer an The AFCA Secretariat moved into alternative solution to the persistent its new home on 1 st March 2018, low prices. With Brazil and Colombia marking one of the key milestones taking lead, producing countries are in the growth of the institution. With now seeking alternative solutions the hiring of the Chief Operations AFCA welcomes you Kigali. to what has been an inexplicable Officer, AFCA has put in place a poor pricing mechanism, which number of exciting coffee programs, he 17th AFCC & E, is packed with threatens the sustainability of coffee trainings and domestic consumption Tworld renown speakers and production. A number of African conference. guest and provides a modern facility producers, have conducted studies for the exhibition. We hope each on the Economic Viability of Coffee Finally, AFCA is honored to partner delegate with actualize the business Farming. Join us at the AFCA Policy with NAEB, the official host sponsor. potential that is inherent in the dinner discussions as we review the We are proud of the sponsors who marketing platform. Please join us measures put in place to support the have teamed up with AFCA to deliver in the various specialized programs coffee farmers. this excellent event. Our warm on offer, including the Sustainable gratitude to Rwacof Exports Ltd, grower’s program, Sustainability After the East African Coffee Fairtrade Africa, Rain Forest / UTZ, day, IWCA Breakfast meeting, the Renaissance meeting in 2015 held Ecom Coffee/ C Dormans, Spedag WCR breeding hub launch, various under the umbrella of the AFCA and Interfreight, Bollore Logistics, Tracon trainings and social events. World Coffee Research (WCR), we Trading Plc and Sustainable harvest, celebrate the establishment of the who have contributed tothe success Coffee year 2018/19 is expected to East African Arabica Coffee breeding of this conference. be the second consecutive season of hub hosted in Rwanda. It is the Editorial Team Editors Associate Editor Publisher Samuel N. Kamau Doriane Kaze African Fine Coffees Association Nandi Jordaan Wambui Waigango Martin Maraka Godfrey Frances Cover Page Picture Feven Gevene Amir Hamza Barbra Nafuna Tanzania Coffee Board 4 African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 5 WRITERS’ PROFILES Agapeters Kubasu Kabasu is a sustainable development expert with over Phyllis-Johnson 9 years’ experience working with smallholder farmers in Sub Christine Condo An agent for empowering Saharan Africa. Previously worked women in coffee and a heart for as sustainable standards auditor As the East Africa Regional Africa, Phyllis Johnson has spent for Rainforest, UTZ certified, Director, Christine leads all 20 years of her career as a green café practices and Cotton made program activity for Sustainable coffee importer and wholesaler in Africa. Currently, engaged Harvest®-Rwanda. Prior to joining of roasted coffee. She and her as Member and Partnerships the Sustainable Harvest® team, husband Patrick started BD Manager for Eastern and Central Christine worked with ACDI/ Imports, a US based company in Africa Network supporting coffee VOCA on a USAID project, with 1999. Her company was the first producers. Fair Trade USA, REDI (Rwanda buyer to several African women Economic Development coffee entrepreneurs. Initiative), and Root Capital. She has invested the past 14 years in her passion: transforming the lives of people in the rural sector, Philip Schluter especially through women’s economic development. Having grown up in Kenya, Philip has a passion for the East African region. He sees specialty coffee as an effective way to create real and sustainable value in the rural economy across the region. With 25 years in the coffee industry, he now heads up the Specialty division of Olam coffee in Europe, Thank you based out of Liverpool, UK. to all our contributers 6 African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 7 POLICY CHANGES IN THE TANZANIA’S COFFEE INDUSTRY & DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION AS THE FUTURE OF AFRICA’S COFFEE Meet Amir Hamza, Acting Board Chair, Tanzania Coffee Board & Chairman and CEO of Amir Hamza (T) Limited the owner of the largest Coffee Soluble Plant in East & Central Africa. We meet up with Amir Hamza at the Mutukula, the Uganda Tanzania Border. We then drive down to Bukoba. Amir shares hilarious stories with us on our 2 hour trip down south. He and his plant manager Ayub tell us about the history of the area, the Idi Amin invasion and local delicacies: roasted grasshoppers included. The entire interview was conducted in their Amimza Board room. Thank you for having us Bwana Amir. 1. Who is Mr. Amir Hamza? He is a Tanzanian who loves his country, he loves his home town Bukoba and he loves coffee. 2. How did you get into Coffee? 3. Tanzania is going through massive reforms in My father used to have a coffee farm and my its coffee industry and many people see them as grandmother before World War Two used to deal in positive reforms that will do a lot to improve the coffee here in Kagera Bukoba. When I was in primary Tanzanian Coffee industry. Can you tell us about school I used to take my father’s farm produce, that them and what the world should expect from was coffee, to the primary society in the late 1960’s these reforms. to be sold to the cooperative union. After looking at the hardships of dealing in coffee and harvesting I felt The 5th Phase of the Tanzanian Government has done a I would need to go into coffee one day to and make marvelous job or should I say an excellent job because life easier for farmers. the Government looked into the life of the poor, small scale coffee farmers. In Tanzania 90% of the coffee is 8 African Fine Coffees Review Magazine | January-March 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 2 produced by small holders and the extension officers will also be well and 5 dollars. I have even have had a small holders were going through trained as we had cases of extension cup of coffee at 11 dollars. a very hard time. According to the officers who were trained in different regulations the licensed buyers crops being brought but having no Yet when you calculate how many were to wait for the farmers at the experience with coffee. cups of coffee are in a kilogram buying post but a lot of middle men of green coffee you find that it is who were going straight to farmers The government has also set aside between 50 – 100 cups of coffee and paying for the coffee while money for seedling production depending on the type of coffee still at flowering stage.