G25 African Coffee Summit to take place in Nairobi between May 25-27

From May 25-27, Nairobi will play host to delegates from 25 African coffee producing countries, taking part in the G25 African Coffee Summit (ACS).

The summit themed "Sustainable Development and Economic Growth in the African Coffee Sector," will involve attendees discussing ways on how to boost domestic output and value-addition of the respective commodity.

“The main objectives of the summit include marshalling consensus on a declaration to include coffee as an anchor commodity in the African Union in harmony with the AU Africa Agenda 2063," revealed Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO).

The summit which will be graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta will also see the attendees discuss on how to increase value addition and boost domestic consumption as well ass expand trading regionally under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Kenya has been a member of the IACO since 1960 when membership only included 11 States, to 25 States today.

A worker removes a sample from a machine during the roasting process for coffee beans at Dormans coffee factory in Nairobi on April 6, 2016. (Photo by CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images) Pulse Live Kenya

Fifth largest producer of coffee in Africa

Currently the third most consumed beverage globally, after water and tea, coffee beans are in high demand in many parts of the world, and the top producing nations produce just enough coffee beans that find their way into the hands of eager consumers.

Kenyan coffee is often listed among the five best coffee globally thanks to its rich body, high acidity, intense flavour, and delightful aroma.

Despite the love for Kenyan coffee, the East African country is only the fifth largest producer of coffee in Africa, coming after Ethiopia (7.38 million 60 kg bags), Uganda (5.62 million bags), Cote d’Ivoire (1.78 million bags) and Tanzania (913,000 bags).

A worker washes ripened coffee cherries during a coffee harvest at the Mandela Estate, Gatundu South, in Kiambu County, Kenya, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. Photographer: Luis Tato/Bloomberg via Getty Images Pulse Live Kenya

Kenya produces an average of 800,000 bags of coffee annually, according to the International Coffee Organization.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) earned Sh24.2 billion (213million U.S. dollars) in the period between January to November 2021, with the value surpassing the entire 2020 earnings that stood at 196million dollars.