NEW YORK, USA – The Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, took part in the roundtable discussion, organized by illycaffè at the United Nations Headquarters, as part of this year’s Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award. In his speech, Massari highlighted the initiatives undertaken by the Italian government to support the coffee sector in Africa as part of the Mattei Plan. The following is the full text of his remarks.
It is a real pleasure for me today to address this distinguished audience and I thank Mr Andrea Illy, and the whole Illy Caffe team, for the privilege of joining you in the celebration of a model of cooperation and partnership we all stand proud of
Today, the light is on coffee and on its producers: a sector that is vital to the economies of many countries, supporting the livelihoods of millions of people in rural areas. Coffee, one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, is much more than a simple commodity and we must handle it as a unique product with immense sustainable development potential.
Indeed, coffee provides a key source of income, foreign exchange and employment opportunities. However, the major challenges that the sector is facing – including climate change, market volatility, an aging population of farmers coffee plantations, the need of innovation in farming techniques – call for a comprehensive action on the value chain, aimed, first and foremost, to increase the added value of production at the local level.
I am proud to say that Italy stays at the forefront of this response, and has developed a broader strategy in this field, based on the experience achieved by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, in partnership with Italian leading private companies, in projects aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the coffee chains, addressing at once environmental sustainability, economic growth and poverty alleviation. An effort that can succeed only through real partnerships with all the actors involved. The winners of today’s prize, whom I warmly congratulate, are the proof of this.
Within the framework of the Mattei Plan, we are working with UNIDO and ICO on a continent-wide initiative to support producing countries in Africa, to accelerate the transition of coffee supply chains towards greater resilience, circularity, equity and efficiency and the project will involve excellences of the Italian coffee industry. The establishment of strong alliances between public and private sectors is the key to achieve this objective: and it is not only about innovation, quality and technical expertise: it is also about having a vision.
Most recently, in the framework of the Mattei Plan for Africa, a flagship coffee initiative is being developed in collaboration with UNDP and partner countries in East Africa, aligned with African continental plans and in collaboration with the African Union.
During the Italian G7 Presidency, coffee has been included on the top of the global development agenda, highlighting its critical role. In this context, Italy has initiated the establishment of a global private-public fund open to different types of like-minded partners: Governments and Development Financial Institutions, development agencies, international financial institutions, international organizations, private companies operating in the coffee sectors, other private investors and funds. The proposed Fund also has the objective to bring closer together coffee producing and consuming countries, as well as the various players along the value chain, in a logic of a mutually enriching and win-win partnership.
It is precisely Ethiopia – and I am glad to see my Colleague Ambassador Daka here today – the main producer of Arabica quality in Africa, that represents one of the pillars of the collaboration with Italy in the coffee sector: over the years, a supply chain approach ‘from the plant to the cup’ has been progressively developed, with particular attention to the involvement of small producers, the introduction of resilient varieties, the adoption of sustainable agronomic practices, and the quantitative and qualitative increase of production. Through the Coffee Training Centre in Addis Ababa we support a regional-level excellence training, laboratory analysis and product marketing.
To conclude, allow me to congratulate Illy Caffe’ for bringing to this building, which is the symbol of dialogue among people and nations, a sample of the Italian excellence, technological expertise and vision for the future. Making coffee a strategic asset for the generations to come and giving value to the work of the local communities, to their heritage and their land represent a lasting legacy and a forward looking message of friendship and peace.
Thank you.
