Dr. Geraldine Mukeshimana takes over the Chairmanship of the Inter-African Coffee Organization
Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr. Geraldine Mukeshimana has been appointed the Chairman of the Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) 2020-2021.
The handover ceremony Virtual between IACO Chairperson 2019-2020, Minister of Food and Agriculture, Republic of Ghana, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie AKOTO and IACO Chairperson 2020-2021, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda, Hon. Dr. Geraldine MUKESHIMANA has gone virtually on February 15, 2021.
Created in December 1960 by 11 African coffee-producing countries, the Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) consisted of 25 countries in 2018 with a mission to help its member countries establish and strengthen a base to generate income for households and export earnings to the Government, from a strong coffee sector.
Its Activities have been directed towards production, processing, marketing, supply of coffee beans at better prices, as well as promotional activities to stimulate consumption.
IACO has also played an important advocacy for its members in international fora, especially during the quota system before its collapse in 1989. With 58 years of experience, IACO has developed an expertise in the coffee sector and woven reference partnerships that are useful for its development.
However, the African coffee sector faces many challenges, including policy failures, strong competition from East Asia, inefficiencies in the value chain (production, processing, quality, marketing, domestic consumption, etc.) and a weak private sector.
The main objective is to review the institutional configuration of the Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO) to develop an appropriate structure for better functioning of the Secretariat and to provide a comprehensive, coherent and consistent approach to achieve IACO overall objectives and to better serve Member States.
Upon her appointment, Minister Mukeshimana urged for more work to promote the coffee industry in Africa and globally as she takes over IACO leadership
Rwanda is one of the African countries that cultivates and processes good coffee with a special taste of international favorites.
According to the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) Annual reports from 2017 to 2020). Figures provided by this institution shown that in 2015 coffee, coffee was grown by between 355 and 751 farmers in Rwanda, with white coffee from 20,000 MT and 24,000 MT, green coffee.
From RYAF Communication Team
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