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MARKUP II Equips Young Tanzanians with Skills for a Quality-Driven Coffee Sector

Moshi, Tanzania
17th – 22nd August 2026

Young people were at the center of a five-day Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Green Coffee Foundation and Intermediate Training held in Moshi, United Republic of Tanzania. The training brough together 42 participants to develop the technical skills required to grade, assess and add value to Tanzania’s green coffee. Of this, 29 of participants were young people as well as 17 women.

The significant representation of young people reflects the objective of the programme to enable young people to develop practical skills and build their futures in the coffee industry.

The training was delivered through the European Union-East African Community (EU-EAC) Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II), implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB), who hosted the session at its Moshi facility.

As the global coffee market becomes increasingly focused on quality, consistency and traceability, specialized skills in green-coffee assessment are becoming essential. Through targeted technical training, MARKUP II is helping coffee-sector MSMEs respond to these requirements while developing a pipeline of skilled young professionals and entrepreneurs who can contribute to the long-term competitiveness of Tanzania’s coffee industry.

The training enabled participants to identify, evaluate and describe the characteristics of coffees originating from different regions of Tanzania. They also developed knowledge of coffee processing, grading, sample analysis, moisture measurement, storage and the different stages of the coffee supply chain.

Delivered across two cohorts by certified SCA trainer Mrs Asli Yaman, with support from Mr Hakan Gultekin, the course combined classroom instruction with hands-on laboratory work. Participants practised defect identification and counting, screen-size assessment, moisture analysis and cupping using the Coffee Value Assessment framework.

Two participating coffee farmers also presented their own coffees for assessment. This allowed trainees to apply their new skills to locally grown samples and examine how origin, production and processing practices influence the characteristics, quality and value of coffee.

Participants ranged from newcomers to the industry, to those already working in coffee; reflecting the diversity of the sector’s emerging workforce. Beyond certification, the training sparked strong interest among participants in continuing their professional development, with many requesting further courses in Roasting and Sensory Skills; signaling a pipeline of motivated young talent ready to deepen their expertise.

In addition to building technical skills, the participants gained an understanding of market requirements and the fundamentals of the green coffee trade. This combination of technical and commercial knowledge is important for enabling young people to participate more fully across the coffee value chain, whether as quality professionals, employees, traders or entrepreneurs.

Reflecting on her experience, Sarah Titus of Aliona Kahawa Alkebulan Company shared that she would take learnings from the training to "reduce post-harvest losses, and ensuring consistent supply that meets market standards."

Seleman Donald, another participant from Delcaffe, shared his intention to now maintain moisture content of his coffee between, "10 - 12%, and improve defect sorting to produce higher grade coffee to access premium markets and negotiate better prices."

By equipping young people with practical, internationally relevant skills, MARKUP II is supporting youth career development and entrepreneurship while strengthening Tanzania’s capacity to control quality, add value and position its coffee more effectively in local, regional and international markets.