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First Coffee Festival – The Awakening of Mozambican Coffee!
1:20 CAT | 31 May 2024
First Coffee Festival – The Awakening of Mozambican Coffee!
On the 14th and 15th of June, the Maputo Coffee Festival will take place for the first time in Mozambique, organized by the Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER), in partnership with the MozBio 2 project, the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the Mozambican Coffee Growers Association (AMOCAFÉ), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
The Coffee Festival will take place at the Montebelo Indy (Maputo Congress Hotel) in Maputo, led by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Celso Ismael Correia, featuring an extensive programme of lectures, demonstration sessions and an exhibition fair, providing a platform for the discussion and exploration of key issues related to the production, processing and consumption of coffee.
Mozambican coffee production has been gaining notoriety, with more than 5,000 local farmers and more than 10 companies in the provinces of Maputo (Namaacha, Boane and Ressano Garcia), Sofala (Gorongosa), Manica (Sussundenga, Gondola, Manica, Vanduzi, Bárue and Mussorize), Tete (Angónia, Macanga, Tsangano and Marávia), Zambézia (Gurúe and Milange), Cabo Delgado (Ibo) and Niassa (Lago Niassa, Muembe, Maúa and Lichinga). For small farmers, coffee production has been a source of income diversification and the implementation of conservation agriculture practices, preserving the forest and its rich biodiversity.
The history of coffee growing in Mozambique dates back to 1906, when Ibo coffee (coffea zanguebariae) was awarded the Gold Medal Diploma in Lisbon for its unique characteristics in terms of flavour and aroma. Today, Mozambique's coffee is exported to the American and European markets, marking Mozambique's reawakening as a player on the world map of coffee production. Some of the main distinguishing features of Mozambique's coffees include unique coffee species, historical origins, and the organic production of Arabica coffee in the country's hills and mountains, following biodiversity conservation principles.
Given the potential for coffee production and the search for higher value markets, Mozambique joined the International Coffee Agreement in 2023, led by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Celso Ismael Correia, at the International Coffee Organization's headquarters in London, UK. This was an important step towards exposing Mozambique to partnerships that will help make Mozambique's coffee sector more competitive in the world.
By connecting the main players in this chain, the Maputo Coffee Festival will strengthen the links needed to create a market that emphasizes consistency, quality and the establishment of commercial agreements between brands and related products.
The opening session, on Friday, 14th of June, will feature welcoming speeches by the President of the Maputo City Council, Rasaque Manhique, followed by the keynote speaker, Vanúsia Nogueira, Director of the International Coffee Organization, and marking the solemn opening act, the opening speech by Celso Ismael Correia, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
On the same day, three panel discussions are planned with prominent speakers such as Abdala Moto, President of the Ibo Coffee Association, Pedro Muagura, Administrator of Gorongosa National Park, Júlio Almeida Vijarona Canda, Régulo of the Canda community, Jenaro Lopez, President of AMOCAFÉ, Thiago Fonseca, Director of GOLO, Inês Cuambe, National Director of Local Economic Development, Charles Denison, Director of Cultivar, Luca Turello, Senior Agronomist at Illy, Stephen Awuah, Regional Director of Farrelly Mitchell, Ana Isabel Ribeiro, from the Higher Institute of Agronomy at the University of Lisbon, Edmar Uamusse, Institute of Agricultural Research of Mozambique, Momade Nemane, National Director of Cooperation and Markets, Paolo Sertoli, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Patrícia Pincarilho, Director of the Portuguese Cooperation Centre in Mozambique, Barbora Hladka, Director of TechnoServe in Mozambique, and Aniceto Bila, Agriculture Specialist at the World Bank.
During the Festival, the publication of the Practical Guide - Growing Coffee under an Agroforestry System in Mozambique, recently produced by the TriCafé programme, a collaboration between Mozambique, Brazil and Portugal, will be launched and presented by Fábio Partelli, from the Federal University of Espírito Santo.
On the 15th of June, the Coffee Fair will offer unique experiences to the public. It will be a chance to refine your senses to the aroma and flavour of coffee, with a wide range of creative activities. The programme includes a not-to-be-missed show by Ethiopia's Barista Champion, Samson Gedawas, as well as tasting sessions of exotic coffee varieties, cupping activities with coffees from Ibo, Gorongosa, Vumba and Manica, demonstrations of coffee preparation, coffee machines and equipment, handicrafts and coffee tableware, among other experiences that will undoubtedly be a highlight for Mozambique's coffee sector.
Media contact:
Eduardo Júnior - Project Manager and PR Specialist
(ANIMA - Creative Studio) / +258 82 392 7676
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