IFAD-Japan Sustainable Coffee Production Project Launch

The ELPS Initiative, launched by MAFF in April 2023 as part of the G7 Miyazaki Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting Presidency Initiative, aims to transform small-scale farming into a more productive and sustainable endeavor while improving market access for the producers. As the implementing agency for this initiative, IFAD is pleased to collaborate with UCC, Japan’s leading coffee maker, and Marubeni, a prominent trading company, to introduce the first project under ELPS. This joint investment project seeks to enhance the sustainability of the coffee value chain in Tanzania.

The event will introduce the ELPS Initiative as a new public-private partnership model. A panel discussion will explore the role of the private sector in global agricultural development and strategies to further encourage private sector involvement and investment in rural areas. UCC and Marubeni will also share insights on the project’s significance to their businesses and its impact on the coffee supply chain.

Speakers:

Gerardine Mukeshimana, Vice President, IFAD

Rick van der Kamp, Lead Specialist on Markets and Value Chains, IFAD

Mitsuo Takahashi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Osamu Kubota, Deputy Assistant Minister, Export and International Affairs Bureau, MAFF

Ritsuko Yoneda, Director for Multilateral Affairs, MAFF

Fumihiko Asada, Representative Director-President, UCC

Hidefumi Oya, Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Food Division – I, Marubeni

H.E. Baraka Haran Lwanda, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to Japan

Tomoko Omura (Moderator), Journalist

Program:

• Opening Remarks by IFAD Vice President, Geraldine Mukeshimana (online)
• Opening Remarks by Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mitsuo Takahashi
• Greeting by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (tentative)
• Greeting by H.E. Baraka Haran Lwanda, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to Japan
• Presentation on ELPS initiative by MAFF Director for Multilateral Affairs, Ritsuko Yoneda and Presentation on sustainable coffee production project by IFAD Lead Specialist on Market and Value Chain, Rick van der Kamp
• Video message from Tanzanian coffee producers
• Panel Discussion
• Q&A session

Language：Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation will be available)

Co-organizers：International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan