To show the overriding role of coffee in the socio-economic development of Africa, the Heads of State of 11 African coffee producing countries, namely Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo (RDC), Côte d’Ivoire, Dahomey (Benin), Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Uganda, Tanganyika (Tanzania), met on 7 December 1960 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and resolved to create the Inter-African Coffee Organisation (IACO).

Shortly after its creation, all the African coffee producing countries become members of IACO, realising the significance of united actions against the challenges facing the African coffee industry, including processing and marketing.

Today, IACO is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the following 25 African coffee producing countries: Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.