• Rwanda signs MoU with Cotti Coffee to raise global coffee market value
• Deal includes building a Sino-Rwandan coffee demonstration park
• Coffee production and exports have declined steadily since 2019

Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese coffee chain Cotti Coffee International to enhance the global value of Rwandan coffee. The agreement, signed on June 6 in Kigali, forms part of Rwanda’s broader effort to strengthen foreign partnerships and revitalize its coffee sector.

Coffee is Rwanda’s second-largest agricultural export after tea. The new partnership includes plans to establish an International Demonstration Park aimed at developing the Sino-Rwandan coffee industry. According to China Daily, the facility will feature a smart farming demonstration zone, a coffee processing unit, and a space dedicated to international coffee trade.

Cotti Coffee also pledged to work with Rwandan authorities to host the Global Rwanda Coffee Cultural Festival annually. The initiative aims to modernize the value chain from production to marketing, with a focus on technology transfer and boosting Rwanda’s global visibility in the coffee market.

The project comes amid declining sector performance. Data from the National Agriculture Export Development Board (NAEB) show that coffee production fell by an average of 4.47% annually, from 20,459 tons in 2019/2020 to 17,038 tons in 2023/2024. Export volumes declined by 4.39% per year during the same period, reaching 16,479 tons in 2023/2024.

The selection of Cotti Coffee as a partner is notable. Launched in 2022, the rapidly expanding Chinese brand operates over 14,000 outlets in 28 countries.

Rwanda, along with other African coffee producers, reaffirmed its commitment at the 3rd G25 Coffee Summit held in Dar es Salaam to increase output. The continent aims to raise its share of global coffee production from 11% to 20% by 2030.