Addis Ababa: The decision to adopt coffee as a strategic anchor commodity in the AU Agenda 2063 is a historic milestone for African coffee sector, Inter-Africa Coffee Organization (IACO) Chairman and Ethiopia's Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente said. This declaration which recognized coffee as a strategic commodity for the continent was adopted during the 37th AU Summit held in Addis Ababa. Briefing the media today, IACO Chairman Girma said the decision to adopt coffee as a strategic anchor commodity and the inclusion of the Inter-Africa Coffee Organization (IACO) as a specialized agency of the African Union is a historic milestone for the African coffee sector. The Inter-Africa Coffee Organization is honored to be designated as the AU Specialized Agency and pledges to support and diligently execute the vision of transforming the coffee sector through value addition, he added. For the chair, the decision is a positive recognition of the important role coffee plays in the socio-economic transformation o f the continent. 'It is also an acknowledgment that only when we work as a continent, the leverage to address the challenges associated with the value addition will be overcome.' AU Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Development (ARBE) Commissioner, Josefa Sacko stressed the need to transform products in the continent as the recent decision is a pilot initiative for other products in Africa. She praised Ethiopia as the backbone of coffee, which is the home of Coffee Arabica. Inter-Africa Coffee Organization (IACO) Secretary-General, Ambassador Solomon Rutega said the vision of IACO is to transform Africa's coffee. Stressing the need for advocacy in the coffee sector, Rutega added that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is also crucial in accessing coffee. This strategic shift underscores Africa's determination to leverage its rich coffee resources for sustainable development, economic empowerment, and global competitiveness. The journey towards elevating coffee to strategic status began with the Kampala Declaration, a seminal document born out of the G-25 Coffee Summit convened in Kampala last August. Africa's coffee production makes up 12 percent of the overall worldwide production of coffee beans. Two countries, Ethiopia 39 percent and Uganda 23 percent, account for 62 percent of coffee beans distribution in Africa, it was learned. By prioritizing value addition, empowering local producers, and challenging the status quo of the global coffee trade, Africa is poised to chart a new course - one defined by inclusivity, sustainability, and shared prosperity. Source: Ethiopian News Agency