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Coffee Working Group Advances
Intra-African Coffee Trade

26th August 2026

The Coffee Advocacy Working Group (CAWG) successfully concluded its fifth online meeting on 26 August 2026, bringing together more than 20 public and private sector representatives to advance practical solutions for scaling intra-African coffee trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Convened by the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA), with support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) under the EU-East African Community Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II) and in partnership with the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO).

The meeting focused on turning earlier CAWG discussions into concrete trade and financing initiatives. Participants reviewed opportunities in growing African markets, particularly North Africa, West Africa and South Africa, while noting that limited working capital, trade finance, logistics and non-tariff barriers continue to constrain exporters, cooperatives and small businesses.

Equity Group presented its regional approach to coffee value chain development, combining finance with capacity building and market connections. The proposed solutions included cash-flow-backed pre-export finance linked to verified coffee flows, inventory, confirmed buyers and offtake agreements. Financing can cover procurement, processing, certification, storage and export logistics, complemented by letters of credit, guarantees and a digital agricultural platform that supports controlled input financing and repayment through produce sales. Members agreed to explore practical trade pilots for green and roasted coffee, including potential transactions targeting African markets. AFCA, IACO and Equity Group will develop a proposal, with ITC facilitating the follow-up, to identify eligible businesses, financing needs, products, buyers and trade corridors. CAWG members will contribute market experience and help identify additional partners required for logistics, standards and quality compliance. Insights from the meeting will also inform an ITC working paper on practical approaches to expanding regional coffee markets, to be shared with CAWG members for review ahead of publication.