About AFCA
The African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) is a member-based, non-profit organisation founded in July 2000 and headquartered in Kampala, Uganda. AFCA represents a broad spectrum of the African coffee sector, including producers, traders, governments, and supporting organisations across 11 member countries—Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. The association’s main mission is to convene, motivate, and professionalise the continent’s coffee industry by strengthening capacity, fostering market linkages, and organising impactful coffee events such as the continent’s largest annual coffee conference.
AFCA is recognised for advocating a producer-forward agenda that prioritises the voice and interests of African coffee producers in the international market. Around 70% of its members are producer and exporter organisations, including cooperatives and SMEs, actively engaged in promoting sustainable and high-quality coffee production. The association delivers a range of services: education programmes on agronomy, sustainability, and coffee quality; business insights to enhance members’ operations; capacity building through training and competitions; and strategic alliances with buyers and support entities.
The TDC-financed Project
The project, “Unlocking the Potential of African Coffee by Supporting Producer Organisations to Meet EU Standards and Legislation,” is funded by the Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre. Its central aim is to empower African coffee producer organisations and exporters—primarily in Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda—to meet rising European sustainability, decent work, and human rights standards, thereby boosting sustainable export opportunities to EU markets.
With a total budget of €60,000 (with €50,000 provided by Enabel), the 18-month project will engage over 166 direct beneficiaries representing coffee producer organisations and exporters, plus an extended network of 301 stakeholders. Core activities include:
- Quarterly webinars addressing EU regulations on deforestation, decent work, and human rights, tailored to close knowledge gaps among AFCA members.
- A benchmarking initiative using a “social and environmental sustainability scorecard,” helping organisations assess and improve compliance with EU standards, especially in areas such as deforestation prevention, living income, and respect for human rights.
- Documentation and dissemination of best practices via in-depth member case studies.
- A capacity building programme focused on market-access strategies, such as branding and digital marketing, to help African coffee producers compete internationally.
- A study tour to Europe (targeting Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland), facilitating direct exchanges with European buyers, sustainability experts, and logistics partners, deepening understanding of market requirements and creating new business opportunities.
The project is designed to address specific challenges faced by African producers in the EU market, such as certification barriers, compliance with strict regulatory standards, lack of market information, and competitive pressures from other regions.
