The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the United Nations Industrial Development Agency (UNIDO) pact a technical agreement for a new initiative to support coffee value chain in Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA (AICS) – Italy’s support for the coffee value chain in Ethiopia continues and renews its commitment with the signing of a new technical agreement worth 2 million euros.
The International Coffee Organization ranks Ethiopia as the fifth largest coffee producer in the world and the first in Africa. Coffee, a key product of the country’s economy, is the main export commodity and provides employment opportunities for millions of people involved in its production, harvesting, processing, and marketing.
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo, AICS) recognizes the importance of the sector in the social and economic development of Ethiopia, and with the technical support of the United Nations Industrial Development Agency (UNIDO), illycaffè and the Ernesto Illy Foundation have long supported local operators in the supply chain and contributed to the creation and development of the Coffee Training Centre (CTC), the first coffee training center in Ethiopia.
The initiative, “Partnership for Investment Risk Reduction in the Coffee Sector in Ethiopia” funded by AICS, will be implemented by UNIDO, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA). The project will facilitate access to credit for local operators in the sector selected for their high economic, social and environmental impact. It will also minimize investment risk by establishing a framework, in collaboration with public and private counterparts, to enable the development of private sector initiatives operating in the Ethiopian coffee value chain.
In this context, the project defines a coherent and integrated framework – to be replicated and adapted to different contexts – to enhance investment in the target countries to promote decent job creation and inclusive and sustainable development.
“This initiative once again demonstrates the commitment of the Italian cooperation in Ethiopia and in particular in the traditional coffee sector, a key product for the development of the country’s economy, and whose quality is one of the best-known in the world” said the Head of the AICS Office in Addis Ababa, Isabella Lucaferri.
Source: AICS