Sierra Leone and other African Countries Sign Coffee Value Chain Declaration in Morocco
The declaration was signed during the High-Level Meeting on the Regional Coffee Value Chain in Africa, held in Marrakech on 6th May. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Henry Musa Kpaka, and the Deputy Minister of Finance, Kadiatu Allie, represented Sierra Leone. Minister Kpaka signed the declaration on behalf of the country.
According to Minister Kpaka, the declaration directly supports the Feed Salone agenda by creating new opportunities to strengthen coffee farming, support cooperatives, improve post-harvest handling, attract investment, and increase export earnings.
“We will use this platform to promote Sierra Leone’s unique coffee species, Stenophylla, which is climate-resilient and driven by high market demand,” he stated.
For farmers and rural communities, he noted that the impact would be practical and far-reaching, including better production systems, stronger market linkages, improved incomes, more jobs, and greater value retention within coffee-producing countries.
The declaration also recognizes the role of key partners, including the Islamic Development Bank, African Coffee Hub, and OCP Africa, in supporting financing, soil health, farmer training, quality systems, aggregation, logistics, and market access.