The Ibo Coffee Producers Association participated in the 60th edition of the Maputo International Fair (FACIM 2025), held from August 25 to 31, 2025, at the FACIM grounds in Ricatla, Marracuene district, Maputo province. The Association was represented by producer Ancha Mandala, who brought with her the unique aroma and flavor of Ibo Coffee, the result of the hard work and dedication of local producers. During the event, the Association carried out several promotional and interactive activities, namely: Coffee tasting, allowing visitors to experience and appreciate the quality of Ibo Coffee; Coffee sales, bringing the product closer to consumers and commercial partners; Participation in networking sessions, which enabled the establishment of contacts with potential investors, institutional partners, and representatives from other value chains. Participation in FACIM 2025 reinforced the Ibo Coffee Producers Association’s commitment to promoting Mozambican coffee, highlighting the potential of the Ibo Archipelago in producing excellent, sustainable coffee with its own unique identity. The Association expresses its gratitude to the Ibo District Government, and to all partners and institutions that made this participation possible, contributing to the appreciation and recognition of Ibo Coffee in both national and international markets.

The infrastructure is being established under the project Mais Valor 2 (UNIDO 22023), funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), and implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with Istituto Oikos in Ibo. The Center will be handed over to the Associação de Produtores de Café do Ibo, and is designed to provide a modern facility for local coffee processing, following an optimized workflow that covers all stages from primary and secondary processing (roasting) to weighing, testing/cupping, and packaging. The works, which started in mid-July 2025, are expected to last five months, with operations expected early in December, just in time to cover the next coffee harvesting season. This initiative represents an important step in enhancing Ibo coffee, supporting local producers, and promoting sustainable development in the Quirimbas Archipelago, contributing to the economic and social growth of the community.

ICPA members received technical support on good practices in coffee cultivation through visits to the production fields recently carried out by Jenaro Lopez, an expert in the field of coffee. The highlight of these visits was guidance on techniques for planting seedlings during the rainy season, correct pruning of plants and good roasting practices.

Ibo coffee was presented in Rimini, Italy, at a parallel event to the Macfrut exhibition, dedicated to publicising agribusiness activities related to fruit and vegetables. During the event, which took place from 8 to 10 May, coffee from Ibo and other origins was cupped and the peculiarities of its taste and aroma were highlighted.

Two APCI members took part in the 2nd Study Tour in Addis Ababa, together with representatives from various public institutions (MADER, MIC), educational institutions (ISPM) and Mozambican coffee companies. The aim of the Study Tour was to gain experience in Ethiopia, Africa's largest coffee producer. The participants received training at the Coffee Training Centre (CTC) in Addis Ababa, related to processing, selection, classification, cupping and barista techniques.

The “Mais Valor” project has established a coffee processing unit on the island of Ibo, bringing innovation to the processing of Ibo's acclaimed coffee. The Ibo Coffee Producers Association will manage the processing unit with complete autonomy, and will use the space to improve the processing and packaging of the coffee grown by its members. To this end, four (4) members of the association have been trained in coffee processing and packaging by a Brazilian expert. With the operationalisation of the processing unit, the Association will be able to add value to locally produced coffee and conquer more attractive markets. In this way, the Association will improve the income of its members, but also increase the recognition of Ibo coffee as a quality reference on the national market.

With the support of the MAIS VALOR project, an irrigation system was installed on the first 4 hectares of the new collective plot. In this area, the Ibo Coffee Producers Association (APCI) is producing coffee in association with various food crops and fruit trees. The intercropping will help improve food security and diversify the association's income.

The Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of Ibo coffee, carried out by an Italian Genetic Laboratory (IGATech) in collaboration with the Illy Caffé Research and Development team and UNIDO, has led to a better understanding of the genomic profile of the coffee crop that grows in the Quirimbas archipelago. The study revealed that the coffee crop grown in Ibo comes from the Coffea zanguebariae species. This finding confirms the results of recent research by Davis et al. (2021), who also identified the coffee species on Ibo as C. zanguebariae.

The content of the manual was developed based on the results of the Ibo coffee research activities carried out by UNIDO, in collaboration with its main partners such as OIKOS, Illycaffè, local government institutions (SDAE Ibo), teaching and research institutions (University of Lúrio), research institutions (IIAM), and with the strong participation of coffee producers on the islands of Ibo and Quirimba. This is the first manual of good agronomic and processing practices for Ibo coffee; thus, the drafting of the manual is an important milestone in the effort to improve quality, add value, and increase national and international recognition of Ibo coffee.