Marrakech: A Hub for African Economic Diplomacy
On May 5 and 6, 2026, Marrakech emerged as a pivotal center for African economic diplomacy, hosting a regional forum focused on developing the coffee value chain across the continent. Co-organized by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the African Coffee Hub (ACH), and the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, with the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the event brought together ministers, ambassadors, and business operators from countries including Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Central to the discussions was the launch of a regional investment program linked to the African Coffee Hub-Tanger Med, aimed at transforming the continent's reliance on raw coffee bean exports into a comprehensive mastery of the entire value chain.
Tanger Med: A New Geography for Coffee Trade
The framework promoted by the organizers marks a departure from the extractive model that has historically relegated Africa to the role of a peripheral supplier. The forum emphasized the need for standardization, blending, international logistics, and distribution—strategic functions of the value chain that have traditionally been developed outside Africa. This initiative, jointly advocated by the IDB, ACH, and the OIC, seeks to reposition the continent from being merely a provider of raw materials to becoming a key player in the value chain. Morocco's role is significant, with Tanger Med poised to become a hub for aggregating African coffee origins, a center for quality standardization, and a responsive export platform to international markets. According to Sanae Benabdelkhalek, the General Director of ACH, this marks a critical turning point. She noted that the era of exporting raw materials without added value is drawing to a close, and Africa has been historically marginalized from the decision-making centers of global supply chains. 'When coffee prices rise globally, the income of farmers in Africa must also increase,' she asserted, highlighting Tanger Med's advantages in connecting African products to the highest international standards.
As reported by lematin.ma.
