KIGALI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda's coffee generated a record 148.6 million U.S. dollars in the 2025/2026 financial year, a senior official said Thursday.
Rwandan Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Consolee Uwimana made the remarks while opening a global coffee conference in Kigali, the Rwandan capital city.
The conference, due to close on Friday, brought together women coffee producers, buyers, roasters, policymakers, researchers, investors, and industry partners to connect, exchange ideas, and build meaningful partnerships and solutions.
The global coffee conference was convened by Sustainable Growers Rwanda, an organization focused on unlocking the potential of women smallholder coffee farmers in East Africa.
The minister said the revenues generated from coffee demonstrate the strength and potential of the country's coffee sector in economic development.
"But this growth must be reflected in the pockets of our women. Women may produce coffee and create its value, yet remain excluded from the decisions, capital and market that determine who will receive it. Participation is not ownership, and producing value is not the same as having a stake in it," Uwimana said.
More than 250 participants from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America convened to learn from the farmers behind the coffee before discussing the future of the industry, according to organizers.
It provided a platform to explore new opportunities, share knowledge, and advance a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for coffee. ■