Conference

Introduction

From 14th – 16th February 2013, multitudes of regional and international coffee roasters, traders, producers, professionals and connoisseurs will descend upon Kampala, Uganda for the 10th African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition.

Coffee, as a commodity, has continued to play a leading role in the economy of Uganda, contributing between 20 - 30% of the foreign exchange earnings. Though large scale coffee producers are gradually emerging, the coffee sub-sector is almost entirely dependent on about 500,000 smallholder farmers, 90 percent of whose average farm size ranges from less than 0.5 to 2.5 hectares.   The coffee industry employs over 3.5 million families through coffee related activities.  The policy of the Uganda Government on coffee production since liberalization in 1991 had been (and still is) to gradually replace the old, diseased coffee trees with new, genetically pure and high yielding coffee varieties at a rate of 5% per annum for Robusta and 2% per annum for Arabica for 20 years.   This was expected to replace all old, unproductive coffee trees and optimise foreign exchange earnings to the country and payments to farmers.

Uganda’s Robusta coffee, is famous world over for its uniqueness and is now being used as a benchmark for coffee from other countries. As the home for Robusta it provides a perfect environment with good soils and weather giving it an outstanding cup profile sought world over by coffee lovers.

The 10th AFCC & E in Kampala Uganda promises to provide a fantastic line up of international and regional internationally acclaimed speakers.

The wonderful exhibition area has increasingly been as seen as pivotal in providing a unique opportunity to exhibitors showcase the best coffees and affiliated services providing ample opportunity to network with coffee luminaries from all over the world. This will be the perfect platform for gathering valuable coffee information, building trade relations and buyer and seller interaction.

As always with every AFCA conference, there will be a full program of exciting social activities including spouse programs, coffee safaris and recreational activities.