Kenya to host world’s biggest coffee forum

david nganga

July 6, 2018 7:31 PM

Kenya defeated Honduras during the 121rd meeting held recently in Mexico.

Kenya is set the 123rd Session of the International Coffee Council (ICC) meeting from 8-12 April, 2019.

The forum is expected to provide platform to discuss ways of addressing challenges facing the sector and ensuring growers get fair financial gains.

Coffee sub-sector implementation committee chairman Joseph Kieyah confirmed that International Coffee Organisation (ICO) gave Kenya the opportunity to host the session in April after defeating Honduras during the 121 meeting held recently in Mexico.

The council is the highest authority of the organisation and is composed of representatives of each member government. It meets in March and September to discuss coffee matters, approve strategic documents and consider the recommendations of advisory bodies and committees.

Drop bid

A team of Kenyan delegates comprising of government and private sector players who attended the Mexico meeting lobbied aggressively to host the meeting forcing the Central American country to drop its bid.

Kieyah who was among the delegates said Kenya was granted the opportunity to hold the meeting for the first time since the creation of ICO in 1963.

ICO is the main intergovernmental organisation for coffee bringing together exporting and importing governments to tackle challenges facing the world coffee sector through co-operation.

david nganga