Ethiopia Holds National Workshop to Prepare UNESCO Coffee Ceremony Nomination

The State Party of Ethiopia, with technical support from UNESCO’s Regional Office for Eastern Africa and the UNESCO National Office in Addis Ababa, convened a National Capacity-Building Workshop on 19–20 February 2025 to prepare a nomination file for the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony for possible inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO published a summary titled "Brewing Heritage: Ethiopia Advances Preparation of a Dossier for the Traditional Coffee Ceremony" on 25 February 2025, with a last update recorded on 26 February 2025.

UNESCO reported that the two-day workshop gathered over 120 participants including community elders, youth, academics, government officials, cultural heritage experts, media and practitioners, and noted a strong representation of women. The workshop’s stated purpose was to hold in-depth discussions on the ceremony’s significance, transmission and the key elements to include in a nomination file, and to ensure active stakeholder participation in shaping Ethiopia’s submission to UNESCO.

UNESCO’s event copy framed the ritual in sensory and social terms, saying: "The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the spiritual chanting of prayers, music and dance, and the warmth of shared community spirit set the tone for the National Capacity-Building Workshop on the preparation of a nomination file for Ethiopia’s traditional coffee ceremony for the future inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity." At the workshop, Latifa Aba Biya, identified as Head of the Jima Town Culture Office, told participants: "The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is not merely about drinking coffee; it is a deeply rooted tradition that brings people together, fosters understanding, and strengthens community ties. We are delighted to see such enthusiastic participation in this important step towards international recognition."

Official materials emphasize that the February 2025 activity was focused on preparing a dossier rather than confirming a formal submission or inscription. UNESCO’s published account and the original event description do not state that a nomination file was formally lodged with UNESCO or that the coffee ceremony has been inscribed on the Representative List.

Industry reporting and social media picked up the story into 2026. Comunicaffe ran the headline "Ethiopia advances UNESCO recognition for traditional coffee ceremony as strategic trade asset" and led with coverage from Ethiopian Coffee Culture Day 2026 in Addis Ababa, framing heritage diplomacy alongside export strategy. Comunicaffe’s self-description in the extract notes it is a daily newsletter sent to 38,000 professionals in Italy and more than 85,000 worldwide. An Instagram line dated 23 February 2026 states that Ethiopia "advanced its bid" on that date; the supplied Instagram fragment does not include the account name or supporting documentation.

Parallel UNESCO-related work on Ethiopia’s coffee landscape is underway in conservation channels. Kafa-biosphere workshop materials, facilitated by TAM Consult, document working groups and legislative questions for establishing the Kafa Coffee Biosphere Reserve and list candidate sites including Bale Mountains National Park, Simien Mountains National Park and the Kafa Coffee Forest. Those biosphere discussions illustrate concurrent UNESCO engagement with Ethiopia on natural and cultural heritage issues, but the Kafa materials do not form part of the coffee ceremony nomination dossier described by UNESCO.

Ethiopia’s February 2025 capacity-building workshop and the subsequent 2026 industry coverage together mark a clear push to position the coffee ceremony as both living culture and an asset for origin branding. Whether a formal nomination dossier has since been submitted to UNESCO or whether the ceremony will be inscribed remains to be confirmed by UNESCO and the State Party of Ethiopia.