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Morocco establishes pan-African coffee hub to streamline exports
Morocco has officially opened the first pan-African coffee center at the Tanger Med port complex, positioning itself as a vital link for African coffee exports to Europe, the United States, and Asia. This initiative marks a significant transformation in the coffee trade landscape, aiming to dismantle traditional dependencies on European intermediaries, thereby enhancing profitability for African producers.
The newly launched African Coffee Hub facilitates direct transactions between producers and international buyers, eliminating complex and often costly supply chains. Coffee consolidation, quality assurance, and preparation will occur in Morocco, ensuring rapid access to global markets. This model not only reduces expenses but also boosts the value retained within Africa.
Sanaa Ben Abdelkhaleq, CEO of the African Coffee Hub, emphasized the center's mission: "Our goal is to enable African coffee to reach the world without intermediaries, while ensuring quality, traceability, and economic fairness for producers." She noted that the Tanger Med port is ideally suited for this groundbreaking initiative.
Africa is a major player in global coffee production, contributing significantly to the espresso market. Ethiopia leads the continent, producing around 470,000 to 500,000 tons annually, which constitutes about 3 to 4 percent of global output and supports over 15 million farmers. Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, and Kenya also contribute robustly to coffee exports, yet the continent captures only a small fraction of the overall market value due to limited local processing and branding.
Changing market dynamics, with a growing demand for specialty coffees from Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya, combined with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), could spur rapid growth if countries invest in roasting capacity and improve logistics.
The coffee hub targets beans from key producing nations, aiming to consolidate production quality and standards on a centralized platform while ensuring continuous supply to international markets. By focusing on Africa's high-quality arabica and specialty beans, it seeks to develop strong relationships with European and American roasters, ensuring that producers gain a more substantial share of the global coffee market.
This initiative aligns with Morocco's broader strategy to function as a logistics hub connecting Africa with Europe. It promises fairer compensation for producers by reducing the number of intermediaries involved, which allows for a larger share of value to remain in producing countries.
The African Coffee Hub is set to announce initial agreements with coffee-producing nations soon, along with its operational calendar and strategic partnerships.