- At the ongoing Specialty Coffee Association’s World of Coffee 2025 in Geneva, ITC is showcasing its commitment to transforming coffee trade across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
- ITC seeks to advance value addition, technical know-how, regional trade, and youth- and women-led enterprise in the coffee industry.
- The association is also championing circular economies and inclusive entrepreneurship.
As the aroma of the world’s finest brews fills the air in Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC) is serving more than just coffee—it’s pouring decades of innovation, empowerment, and inclusive growth into the global spotlight.
At the Specialty Coffee Association’s World of Coffee 2025—the largest coffee trade show in Europe and now, for the first time, hosted in Geneva—ITC is showcasing its deep-rooted commitment to transforming coffee from a commodity into a catalyst for sustainable development.
For over 20 years, ITC has worked alongside the International Coffee Organization and regional institutions to uplift value chains and empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
From publishing The Coffee Guide, the industry’s go-to reference, to championing circular economies and inclusive entrepreneurship, ITC’s impact brews far beyond the bean.
This year, the spotlight shines on ITC’s latest efforts: advancing value addition, technical know-how, regional trade, and youth- and women-led enterprise—ensuring that the next chapter of global coffee trade is one of equity, resilience, and prosperity.
Improve the quality of beans in coffee trade
“Coffee is more than a commodity – for the many small businesses we support in countries across the world, the ability to improve the quality of their beans, process at origin and meet sustainability requirements in the face of rising climate concerns means they’re able to adapt to changes to tap into new markets and compete at the global level,” explained ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton.
ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira added, “No one can tackle the coffee sector’s challenges alone. We need expertise, funding, capable people and strong partnerships for collective action. The ICO and ITC have worked together for many years, and Pamela and I have deepened this collaboration – going beyond The Coffee Guide to drive calls to action across numerous coffee-producing countries. Together, we’ve supported efforts ranging from EUDR compliance and new field procedures to market access and boosting local consumption – each critical to increasing incomes where coffee is grown.”
Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Fred Kyakulaga noted that his country is undertaking an ambitious commitment to transform its export trajectory—from $50 billion to $500 billion—through strategic value addition.
“Coffee will be one of the primary drivers for achieving this target, reinforcing not only our economic competitiveness but also our national transformation agenda. Additionally, the Government of Uganda has set aside $100 million to support investment in the gradual transition of the coffee sector from green bean export to both green bean and soluble coffee exports in a bid to generate more revenue and income for the farmers and the country as a whole,” the minister explained.
In a separate meeting with ITC Deputy Executive Director Dorothy Tembo and her team, Fred Kyakulaga explored the possibility of a partnership with ITC focusing on value addition through science and technology transfer for sustainably increased coffee processing production.
ITC at World of Coffee
Booth 1359 | Palexpo Geneva | 26–28 June
At Booth 1359, visitors can taste unique coffees from across the globe, connect directly with producers, and learn how ITC programmes are enabling sustainable and inclusive coffee growth from seed to sip.
- ITC will also co-host national booths with coffee sector stakeholders from:
- Booth 1359: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana
- Booth 2469: Burundi
- Booth 2365: Kenya
- Booth 2531: Lao People’s Democratic Republic
- Booth 2467: Papua New Guinea
- Booth 2271: Rwanda
- Booth 2377: United Republic of Tanzania
- Booth 2371: Uganda
ITC Programmes represented
ITC Window I Trust Fund, related to the development of methodologies associated with accompanying SMEs in the green transition
European Union-East African Community Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) II, funded by the EU, will support over 40 coffee companies from East Africa to exhibit and engage with buyers.
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) Business-Friendly, funded by the EU and Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, empowers small businesses through value addition, circular economy and trade development.
Netherlands Trust Fund V, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, supports coffee producers in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal to grow exports and secure livelihoods.
United Kingdom Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP), funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, aims to increase trade from developing countries to the United Kingdom and the European Union by maximizing the benefits of respective Economic Partnership Agreements and the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme.
Read also: Uganda’s growing coffee clout on global markets
