Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/763665
AFCA Launches Specialty Coffee Auc on The Project is to enhance access to the African specialty coffee market through promo ng the sale of coffee online. African Fine Coffee Associa on ('AFCA') and The Inter- na onal Trade Centre (ITC) have come together to pro- mote East African coffee to the global coffee market using an innova ve online market place and business model developed by Bean Auc on Ltd. AFCA's Taste of Harvest program is the leading region- al cupping compe on in Eastern and Southern Africa. It provides producers, millers, and exporters in AFCA member countries with a pla orm to showcase their coffee. While the main purpose of Taste of Harvest is to iden- fy, catalogue, and promote the region's quality cof- fees, the program has a much broader impact on the development of the region's coffee sector by facilita ng linkages between African producers and interna onal buyers and building capacity across the African coffee value chain. The results of the compe on were then published and buyers can approach the producers di- rectly and make an offer to purchase this coffee. For the past year AFCA has been searching for an auc- on system to help market African Specialty coffee globally. It is hoped that by adver sing the coffee to a larger group of poten al buyers they could get be er prices. The African Fine Coffees Associa on and the Interna- onal Trade Centre have partnered with Bean Auc on Ltd. to provide an online solu on for a specialty coffee auc ons and an electronic pla orm for African coffee. Bean Auc on Ltd is leveraging IT, local partnerships and proven supply chain management techniques to ensure risk is always mi gated. This model fits with AFCA's long term strategy. The new Taste of Harvest compe on will use the AF- CA's network of industry and local government connec- ons to develop online specialty auc ons that work for Africa. Each country has a slightly different system with different legal and infrastructure constraints that need to be taken into considera on. Together we will lever- age exis ng infrastructure in these countries to deliver measurable benefits to the coffee industry in Africa. "This project will change the way the market perceives East African coffees and in doing so will generate high- er prices for coffee producers. In turn, this will demon- strate to farmers that inves ng in improving quality re- sults in be er prices." Samuel Kamau, CEO, African Fine Coffee Associa on For more informa on contact: Tom Carew: tom.carew@beanauc on.com or +44 7890 269 287 or Samuel Kamau: kamau@africanfinecoffees.org +256 414269140/1