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GENEVA, Switzerland – The International Trade Centre (ITC) is showcasing its longstanding leadership in sustainable coffee development at the Specialty Coffee Association’s World of Coffee – Europe’s largest coffee trade show – hosted for the first time in Geneva from 26–28 June 2025. For over two decades, ITC has worked closely with the International Coffee Organization and regional institutions to support coffee value chains and SMEs across Latin America, Africa and Asia.
From its flagship publication, The Coffee Guide – now in its fourth edition and widely regarded as the industry reference – to its deep partnerships promoting circular economy and inclusive business models, ITC supports building resilience, competitiveness and sustainable value chains for SME development..
This year’s presence at the World of Coffee spotlights how ITC is investing in value addition, technical capacity building, regional trade, and youth and women-led entrepreneurship – with a focus on accompanying small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their efforts to benefit from trade while securing better market access and stronger returns.
ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton said: ‘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.’
ICO Executive Director Vanusia Nogueira said: ‘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.’
Hon. Bwino Fred Kyakulaga, Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, said: ‘Uganda reaffirms its 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.’
In a separate meeting with ITC Deputy Executive Director Dorothy Tembo and her team, Hon. Bwino explored the possibility of a partnership with ITC focusing on value addition through science and technology transfer for sustainably increased coffee processing production.
