EAFCA is an association of coffee producers, processors, marketing people and organisations in the ten Eastern and Southern African countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as well as others from outside Africa. Membership thus includes processors, associations, roasters, dealers, retailers, and coffee professionals from all over the world.

EAFCA was registered in Uganda in 2000.

Our Vision:

The vision of EAFCA is "improving the quality of life through the quality of coffee".

Our Mission:

The mission of EAFCA is to establish and promote partnerships and networks amongst those participating and having an interest in quality coffee production, processing and marketing in the Eastern Africa coffee-growing region.

About EAFCA (PDF, 70KB)

Highlights of Accomplishments

Report by Executive Director at AGM in March 2005 (PDF, 962KB will open in a new window)

Membership:

To date (March 2006), EAFCA has a membership of 110 composed of both individual and corporate members comprising of farmers, exporters, importers, retailers, roasters and coffee professionals from Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia all over the including members belonging to the specialty coffee associations of Europe, Brazil and America.

Membership Benefits:

• New Member Welcome Kit
• Bwana Kahawa Buzz
• Email Account
• Bi-monthly Fine Coffee Bulletin
• Members-only Webpage Resource Centre
• Substantial Discounts on Training and Event Fees
• International conferences coordination and representation

As a group, Eastern African countries produce about 15% of the specialty coffees of the world and have a potential to produce more.

The volume and quality of the coffee are the main reasons that will attract serious buyers of specialty coffee to come to Eastern Africa. Therefore, market linkages are the main benefits offered to both buyers and sellers of specialty coffee. Using the synergy of ten countries, EAFCA has been able to develop the awareness of producing high quality coffee for the growing market for fine coffees. Jointly, with participation of several organisations, EAFCA has promoted members’ coffees in major exhibitions and events such as the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Conference & Exhibition in Boston in 2003 and in Atlanta in 2004, and the World Tea and Coffee Cup in Rome in 2003.

EAFCA also hosted the first ever African Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition in February 2004 in Nairobi, Kenya. This event not only promoted the high quality coffees from Eastern and Southern Africa but also opened doors for our member exporters to negotiate and enter into contracts with roasters, buyers and retailers specializing in specialty coffees. The exhibition has become the first step towards financial sustainability of EAFCA, a key factor in creating a strong and effective association.

In February 2007 EAFCA will continue with its successful Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

EAFCA Services:

Apart from market linkages, EAFCA works with members and non-members in the areas of information generation and dissemination, technology transfer facilitation, alternative coffee marketing such as bulking for big orders and promotion schemes, quality enhancement and assurance, promotion of domestic consumption and favourable regional policy advocacy.

Why Join EAFCA?

As a regional team, EAFCA is in a strategic position to influence favourable policies that could address cross cutting regional issues that are impediments to the growth of the industry. This is imperative for the survival of the Eastern African coffee industry; where quality, relationship, uniformity and joint efforts are the answer to the coffee of tomorrow. Together we can win in the marketplace but separately we lose, since no single country on its own will have enough clout in the market place.

Fees Structure:

Corporate entities, which include companies or other organisations, pay an annual membership fee of USD. 300.

Benefits: