President Yoweri Museveni has declared Africa a major coffee donor globally, emphasizing the continent’s loss due to lack of value addition during the African Union’s Extra Ordinary Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Summit at Common Wealth Resort Munyonyo on January 11, 2025.
President Museveni highlighted how a kilogram of coffee earns USD 2.5 as raw material, but when roasted, ground, and packaged abroad, it generates USD 40 for foreign producers.
“This is how Africa has been a major donor to the parts of the world that are managed by cleverer people. We do not only lose money per kg of coffee; we also lose jobs,” the president informed.
He added stating how the roasting jobs, the grinding jobs, and the packaging jobs are done by the children of the foreigners, while Africa’s children are drowning in the Mediterranean Sea going to prosperous Europe and running away from impoverished Africa.
“The battle for value addition has been a big one because there are lobbies that want to keep Africa as a raw-materials-producing continent, “the president stated.
He emphasised how Africa is endowed with extensive arable land and a youthful population, positioning the continent not only to achieve self-sufficiency in food production but also to emerge as a key exporter of agricultural products.
“With proper investment and policy support, Africa can reverse the narrative of being a recipient of aid to becoming a major supplier, particularly in terms of agricultural resources and innovations,” the president noted.
During the closure of the summit, President Museveni highlighted that the continent has been historically viewed as a recipient of aid rather than a contributor.
However, he urged for increased investment in agriculture, which he believes could transform Africa’s role in the global economy.
