The value of coffee has dropped because of a huge global oversupply and many coffee growers earn less than half what they did in the late 1990s according to the Eastern Africa Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA). Coffee prices reached their lowest level for almost 40 years in 2002.
EAFCA members are ready to fight back. Kenya produces some of the world's top grade Arabica coffee beans but quality and output have fallen because the poor prices have persuaded farmers to turn to other crops.
The new plan is to increase the quality of the coffee once again so that farmers will be awarded better prices. This "appellation" would guarantee coffees coming from the best regions, with the best production methods and the best taste.
Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda will be the first to start the appellation program in early 2005. Ethiopia, the birth place of coffee drinking, has many regional coffee types.
"The Eastern Africa Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA) is a regional non-profit, non-political association representing coffee sectors in seven member countries, namely: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and Zambia. The Association has its headquarters in Uganda, where the secretariat is hosted. Presently the association is working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement a Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP) in the region, and held the first regional tree crops conference in Kampala on 17th -22nd June, 2001, at which more than 150 participants from the EAFCA members countries attended, as well as others from Mozambique, United Kingdom, USA and Brazil. The motivation to pursue the creation of Eastern African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA) was first and foremost, the fact that the future belongs to the organized. Further to this there was already a strong and fertile base in East Africa. EAFCA has emerged on international coffee scene as a serious partner, and wants to talk serious coffee business."
One event that will showcase this plan to "fight back" is taking place this year. "The Eastern African Fine Coffees Association, (EAFCA) is organizing the first ever African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition to be held in Nairobi in February 2004. The event is expected to attract a wide range of exhibitors and participants from all areas of the regional and international coffee industry, and features a number of top-notch speakers from around the world. The African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition will be at the beautiful Safari Park
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