African coffee finds growing market in China

Africa's expanding trade with China, which is now one of the fastest growing markets for African coffee, was highlighted at the 22nd African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The three-day event, which closed on Friday, united stakeholders from the coffee value chain, including farmers, exporters, and international buyers, to discuss critical issues such as quality, sustainability, and market access.

China's consumption of African coffee is rapidly increasing, thanks to urban lifestyles and a burgeoning cafe culture.

Traders say Chinese consumers are showing a preference for specialty beans, particularly Ethiopian and East African varieties, which are gaining traction in cafes and retail outlets.

This exhibition has facilitated partnerships between Chinese buyers and African exporters in various areas, including logistics, roasting, and branding.

"Last year, we have like more than 400 containers from Ethiopian coffee to China to support the market in China, because everyone knows that the Chinese coffee industry is a boom there. More and more clients, they will pick Ethiopian coffee in their SOE (single origin espresso), in their recipe, in their signature drink. So more and more people fall in love with the Ethiopian coffee," said Annie Yip, a coffee trader.

This growth is not isolated to Ethiopia. Other African nations, such as Uganda, are also enhancing their coffee exports to China, boosted by government-led promotion and direct market engagement.

"The Chinese market is extremely important for Uganda. Coffee exports to China have increased by 270 percent in the past two years. Uganda has grown as a very big exporter of coffee to China, and we want this market to grow even farther. In fact, we have our office in China. It's promoting coffee," said Gerald Kyalo, Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture Commissioner.

Analysts said that the evolving Africa-China coffee trade signifies a broader economic shift towards stronger South-South cooperation, allowing African producers to view coffee as a strategic bridge in long-term trade partnerships.

African coffee finds growing market in China

Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.

According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.

The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.

The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.

FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.

If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.

These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.

Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO