Generali and UNIDO Unite for Sustainable African Coffee Growth

Insurance company Generali and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have partnered to foster sustainable coffee production in Africa. This collaboration, under the Advancing Climate-Resilience and Transformation in African Coffee (ACT) programme, aims to improve socio-economic conditions, enhance climate resilience, and promote local value addition within key African coffee-producing communities. The ACT programme is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in line with the EU Global Gateway and the Italian Mattei Plan. UNIDO leads the programme, working with the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO), and private-sector partners. At the same time, Generali will serve as a technical advisor to the project. Initially, the partnership will focus on Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi, employing a five-pillar strategy: value addition, climate resilience, compliance, research, and social inclusion, with finance acting as an overarching enabler. Three Main Areas The collaboration will concentrate on three main areas, as follows. Promoting Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: Mobilising resources and sharing knowledge for inclusive growth through public-private cooperation. Joint Studies: Conducting research, particularly on the application of parametric insurance within the African coffee value chain. Fostering Dialogue and Impact Measurement: Encouraging discussions among public and private stakeholders and developing practical tools to assess social and environmental outcomes. Through this initiative, Generali and UNIDO aim to build more resilient and inclusive coffee value chains in Africa, empowering producers and local businesses to adapt to climate change, improve their livelihoods, and strengthen sustainable trade practices.