Lomé inaugurates coffee center focused on local processing and training

Agriculture

Wednesday, 06 May 2026 15:51

Lomé inaugurates coffee center focused on local processing and training

(Togo First) - Lomé has a new center promoting locally processed Togolese coffee. The facility, called “Maison du Café, Le Terroir,” was launched by the Coordination Committee for the Coffee and Cocoa Sectors (CCFCC), in partnership with the Inter-African Coffee Organization, and inaugurated on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

The center includes a showroom and retail space for coffee products, a tasting area and a training facility. Its aim is to boost domestic processing and encourage Togolese consumers to buy locally produced coffee.

“The center’s main objective is to strengthen the skills of people already involved in processing coffee for local consumption, so as to support the marketing and consumption of Togolese coffee,” said Anselme Gouthon, secretary general of the CCFCC.

The facility will also train baristas and coffee specialists to help promote Togolese coffee.

The project comes as producer countries seek to retain more value locally, while Togo’s coffee-cocoa sector remains heavily dependent on raw exports.

The Maison du Café plans to train 80 young baristas from several regions of the country. Participants will receive equipment and business support to develop local coffee distribution and retail activities. The initiative aims to create a network of small coffee businesses.

It also expands previous efforts, including coffee kiosks set up in Lomé and Kara and run by young entrepreneurs working through cooperatives. The project also receives support from the International Trade Center, which is involved in training stakeholders in the sector.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

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