UNIDO: ‘exchange’ between Ethiopia and Italia on the coffee supply chain

A professional ‘exchange’ programme between African and Italian economies focusing on the coffee supply chain, aimed at promoting the transfer of skills and greater labour market inclusion in the sub-Saharan region.

This was the aim that underpinned the ‘study tour’ undertaken in Italia by 24 industry professionals from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, with stops in Trieste and Florence and the involvement of several leading Italian companies in the sector such as Illy, Lavazza, Lavazza, Caffè Vergnano, La Marzocco’s Accademia del Caffè Espresso and Ditta Artigianale.

The delegation set off from Addis Ababa at the instigation of the Act Coffee Programme, a programme developed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation with funding from the Cooperation programme.

The scope is that of the Mattei Plan, the Italia government’s initiative to revitalise relations with Africa, which in turn forms part of the Global Gateway: the European Union’s strategy in response to the Belt and Road Initiative, with a package of infrastructure investments that will allocate 150 of its 300 billion euros in the budget to Africa alone.

The initiative centres on the Coffee Training Centres (CTCs), classified by UNIDO as a ‘flagship’ component of the ACT Coffee Programme . These are regional hubs located in African coffee-producing countries and dedicated to roasting, business development and ‘skills sharing’. The aim, according to UNIDO in a statement, is to stimulate domestic consumption and develop professional skills for on-site processing.