Ethiopia Launches National Coffee Platform to Strengthen Sector

Addis Ababa, July 9, 2025 (ENA) -- Ethiopia officially launched the Steering Committee for the National Coffee Platform bringing together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to support one of the country's most vital economic and cultural sectors in Addis Ababa.   

Speaking at the launch, Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance and Chairperson of the Steering Committee, noted ongoing challenges, including climate change, market vulnerability, and regulatory hurdles.

She commended producers, exporters, and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) for their role in achieving record-breaking export figures.

Addressing the gathering, Adugna Debela, Director General of ECTA, and Samuel Doe, UNDP Representative in Ethiopia, highlighted the importance of unity and shared purpose in advancing Ethiopia’s coffee sector.

The Steering Committee is tasked with guiding the National Coffee Platform—first introduced in November last year—toward a shared vision for the future of the sector.

The platform is designed to foster leadership, accountability, and cooperation among farmers, cooperatives, exporters, civil society, government, and private sector actors.

The coffee sector supports over 5 million smallholder farmers—many of them women—and directly or indirectly employs roughly a quarter of the population, according to Ministry of Finance.  

Coffee remains Ethiopia’s leading export, generating over 2.5 billion USD this year-one of the highest contributions in the country's history.