Revamping The Coffee Sector: Stakeholders Intensify Efforts

O ver the years, coffee has been contributing to Cameroon’s econo­ mic growth with an average sum of FCFA 3.5 billion ge­ nerated from the export of 824 tons of Arabica coffee and over FCFA 3.5 billion from 10,377 tons of Robusta ex­ ports in the 2024-2025 sea­ son. Despite this visible in­ come generated by the sector, coffee’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Pro­ duct (GDP) remains well below one per cent. With these, the Government of Cameroon in collaboration with local and international stakeholders have devised value addition strategies that tackle pre-har­ vest and post-harvest concerns with projections to improve quality and expand access to global premium mar­ kets and keep local production afloat. In recent years, government and international bodies have deployed substantial financial frameworks to revitalize the sector, highlighted by a FCFA 76.7 billion investment plan aimed at doubling coffee pro­ duction by 2027 to over 22,000 tons across Robusta and Arabica varieties. Central to this financial push is the Cocoa and Coffee Sectors De­ velopment Fund (FODECC), which distributes direct pro­ ducer subsidies via a specia­ lized "producer window" to fund orchard regeneration and essential agricultural inputs. Also, external funding me­ chanisms like a FCFA 34.61 billion agreement with the Central African Forest Initia­ tive (CAFI) that allocates spe­ cific tranches to reward de­ forestation-free coffee far­ ming, ensuring that national expansion aligns with strict environmental standards pres­ cribed by the European Union. To shift the industry from ex­ porting low-value raw beans, Cameroonian actors are prio­ ritizing local processing, in­ frastructure, and technical training. This includes the inauguration of the FCFA 1.5 billion modern coffee roasting plant in Bafoussam by the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of the West (UC­ CAO), complemented by public strategic plans to establish dedicated instant coffee pro­ cessing units. On the ground, the National...