EU-CAFÉ Project Reviews Progress, Sets Focus for Next Quarter

Six-Month Performance Review Completed

The EU-CAFÉ Project, which operates under the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), has completed a two-day performance review forum in Addis Ababa. Senior officials of the authority, regional coffee and tea representatives, research institution representatives, project Focal Persons, and federal experts attended the forum.

During the review, the six-month journey of the project was thoroughly assessed and a consensus was reached on the tasks to be prioritized and completed in the next three months.

Promising Results for Coffee Farmers

According to Ato Sifisa Abababu, Head of the Office of the Director General of the Authority, promising work has been done to grow the coffee sector and ensure the benefits of farmers in the districts where the project is implemented. Activities planned in the first six months are reported to be on schedule and on track.

The project has been recognized as playing a significant role in addressing structural bottlenecks across the Ethiopian coffee sector, contributing to improvements in quality, productivity, and market access for smallholder farmers.

Three Priorities for the Final Quarter

Despite the positive performance, Ato Sifisa issued three key recommendations to ensure momentum is maintained through the project’s final phase:

• Coordination: The remaining activities should be carried out in a more organized and coordinated manner across all stakeholders and regions.
• Data management: All activities carried out to date should be consolidated with sufficient documentation and used as input for future planning and policy.
• Result-oriented work: The project should be successfully completed by maintaining a clear focus on the goals set for the remaining months.

Significance for Ethiopian Coffee Export

The EU-CAFÉ Project represents a meaningful commitment to improving the quality and productivity of Ethiopian coffee at origin. As global buyers increasingly demand traceability, quality consistency, and ethical sourcing, initiatives like EU-CAFÉ directly strengthen Ethiopia’s competitiveness as a leading green coffee exporter.

The current evaluation underscores the importance of structured project governance and stakeholder alignment in delivering long-term, measurable reforms to the Ethiopian coffee sector.