On 25 November 2024, the Ibo District Government witnessed the official launch of the ‘Inclusive and Sustainable Development of Agricultural Value Chains - Mais Valor 2’ project. The event took place at the District Secretariat and was attended by local authorities, representatives of Istituto Oikos, UNIDO and the Ibo Coffee Producers Association (APCI). Tércio Horácio, in his capacity as UNIDO focal point, pointed out that the project covers the provinces of Manica and Cabo Delgado, with the Ibo district being the only beneficiary in Cabo Delgado. During the presentation, the results of the first phase of the project were highlighted and the goals for the new phase, which will last 18 months, were defined. Among the objectives of the new phase are the cultivation and planting of 40,000 coffee seedlings and 10,000 shade trees, the construction of infrastructure for processing and drying coffee, the implementation of irrigation systems for 8 hectares of land, as well as training in composting and sustainable agroforestry practices. The project will also provide technical and logistical support for marketing strategies, improve coffee quality through good agricultural practices and research, and build a coffee processing unit on Ibo Island. The project also includes the participation of final-year students from Lúrio University and a permanent technical team in the district, made upcomprised of a senior agronomist and two middle-level technicians.

The Ibo District Administrator praised UNIDO and Istituto Oikos for their contributions in various areas. He emphasised the importance of the project for the region and reaffirmed the District Government's commitment to its success. He also emphasised the importance of knowledge transfer to ensure the sustainability of activities after the project ends. This initiative reinforces the commitment to sustainable development, promoting the local economy and valuing agricultural production in the Ibo district.

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.

Between March and April, the Ibo Coffee Producers Association (ICPA) bought coffee produced in the 2023/2024 agricultural season by its 164 members. After harvesting the fruit by hand and drying it in the sun on African beds, the producers hulled the product to obtain green coffee, the name given to coffee beans before roasting.

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.

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.

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 MAIS VALOR project supplied bicycles to the association to facilitate the transport of coffee on the island. With a design adapted for riding on the sand and made of durable material, the bikes supplied by the project were designed with a trailer for transporting coffee and small agricultural implements.

The period of the year most awaited by Ibo's coffee producers has arrived! The excellent distribution of rain combined with the correct application of good agricultural practices is yielding remarkable results, with an expected increase in quality and quantity. The producers are excited about what's to come and can't wait to taste Ibo's delicious coffee.

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.

Two training sessions on marketing strategies and cooperativism were held in the district of Ibo for the benefit of members of the Ibo Coffee Producers Association (APCI); the primary aim of the training sessions was to define strategies for improving and revitalising the association's structural and governance capacity, taking into account the growing dynamics of the coffee market in Mozambique and the funding opportunities that the association can access.

UNIDO is working to provide beneficiaries with an integrated processing centre with complete primary (hulling) and secondary (roasting) processing. The equipment was purchased and arrived on Ibo Island on 22 October. The roaster will be installed following all the necessary technical requirements and the members of the Association will be trained to improve their coffee.

The project to restore the Fortim de Santo António has been completed, presented and approved by the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage (at a dedicated session of the CNPC - DNPC on 10/03/2022, in the presence of Her Excellency Eldevina Materula, Minister of Culture and Tourism). The centre will function as the headquarters of the APCI and as a point of sale and sharing of information about Ibo coffee.

UNIDO has explored various opportunities to support the packaging of Café do Ibo (and solutions for creating the Ibo brand). To this end, an Ibo Coffee package was created with the aim of i) attracting consumers, ii) increasing interest in Ibo Coffee, and at the same time iii) preserving the flavour of Ibo Coffee and its aromatic characteristics. The new packaging was exhibited for the first time by the IBO Administrator at the latest edition of FACIM (2022), the largest trade fair in Mozambique.