On May 5 and 6, 2026, Marrakech became the focal point for a groundbreaking transformation in Africa's coffee industry. During the Regional Forum on Coffee Value Chain Development in Africa, representatives from various governments, financial institutions, and continental operators convened to formulate a new strategy aimed at reclaiming the added value of a product for which the continent is a leading global producer.
At the heart of this initiative was Guinea, which distinguished itself through the notable participation of Madame Maniamba Kandé, the Director General of the Guinean Agency for Technical Cooperation (AGCT). The forum was co-organized by the African Coffee Hub, the Islamic Development Bank, the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, bringing together several African coffee-producing nations with a shared ambition to end the long-standing model of exporting raw African coffee and to build an integrated value chain across the continent.
Mandated by the Guinean Minister of Planning, International Cooperation, and Development, Madame Kandé presented Guinea's strategic vision centered around the Simandou 2040 program. During her address, the Guinean delegation emphasized the central role of agriculture in the country's structural transformation, alongside infrastructure, energy, and human capital development.
Guinea highlighted the strategic potential of the coffee sector as a lever for economic diversification, job creation, and territorial development. This positioning has bolstered the image of Guinea as a nation committed to sustainable transformation beyond its mining potential.
A significant highlight of this meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the AGCT and African Coffee Hub, which made Guinea the first signatory of this structural partnership aimed at accelerating the modernization of the national coffee sector. This agreement opens substantial opportunities for technical expertise transfer, access to international markets, value chain structuring, and targeted investment mobilization.
The initiative aligns with the strategy led by African Coffee Hub, a platform designed to help African countries better capture the wealth generated by coffee, of which nearly 80% of exported volumes still leave the continent as unprocessed green beans. Through this regional program, African Coffee Hub aims to centralize standardization, traceability, blending, and export logistics from Tanger Med, thereby directly connecting African producers to high-value international markets.
For Madame Maniamba Kandé, this gathering also represented a major diplomatic and economic opportunity. Bilateral exchanges and technical sessions allowed for the identification of several agricultural financing mechanisms compatible with the ambitions of the Simandou 2040 program. Advanced discussions were also initiated with technical and financial partners regarding impactful projects.
Beyond coffee, this forum signals the emergence of a new model of African economic cooperation based on state sovereignty, multilateral financing, and operational execution through continental platforms. Guinea is poised to play an active role in this dynamic.
Through its strategic participation and the signing of this pioneering partnership, Madame Kandé has contributed to positioning Guinea among the African players committed to locally transforming their agricultural resources and reclaiming their rightful place in the creation of global value.
As reported by guineenews.org.
