In the current fiscal year, the country has earned over $2 million from the export of 3,200 tons of coffee to countries such as Poland, Portugal, and Italy—a sign of steady production growth and a boost to the Gross Domestic Product.
Angola has over 50,000 hectares of land suitable for coffee cultivation, a figure that, according to the director-general of the National Coffee Institute, Vasco Gonçalves, as quoted by Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), still falls short of historical levels, despite evidence of growth in recent years.
“In terms of exports, 3,288 tons of commercial coffee were shipped, mainly to Portugal, Poland, and Italy, generating over $2 million in revenue. We will be able to increase our production without cutting down forests, as we want to avoid that,” stated Vasco Gonçalves.
He noted that Angola is working to increase production without resorting to deforestation, as it has committed to international authorities, emphasizing that this effort is particularly relevant in light of new European Union regulations aimed at eliminating the consumption of products from deforested areas.
Johann Santana-Garrer, head of the European Forest Institute, as quoted by RNA, explained that the European Union is implementing the regulation on deforestation-free products, a measure aimed at protecting the environment. Consumers in the European Union no longer wish to consume products sourced from deforested areas.
With the implementation of the European regulation, European Union consumers no longer wish to consume products that contribute to the destruction of forests. In response, the director-general of the National Coffee Institute of Angola emphasized that, despite the new European standard, Angolan coffee production complies with good agricultural practices, ensuring the quality demanded by international markets.
“The responsibility for compliance lies with the importers. We have to produce coffee in accordance with good agricultural practices. These are tools that will help the country produce coffee in line with the demands of international consumers and also produce coffee in an environmentally friendly manner. To have coffee that respects social aspects,” he stated.
Source: Jornal de Angola
