The proposal came amid a sharp rise in global prices and Russia’s high dependence on imported grain.
Translated with AI assistance
Sierra Leone has proposed that Russian companies lease land for coffee plantations and supply grain directly to Russia. The country’s ambassador to Moscow, Mohamed Yongavo, stated this in an interview with TASS.
“Why don’t you Russians, Russian businessmen, buy coffee directly from Sierra Leone so that duties and other restrictions are lower? By the way, I have already visited Sierra Leone with several Russian businessmen who showed interest not only in buying coffee but also in growing it. Our government is ready to lease land to them so that they can grow coffee, because then in 3-4 years they could already bring coffee to Russia directly from Sierra Leone,” he explained, presenting his country’s proposal.
Sierra Leone’s offer emerges amid a sharp rise in coffee prices. Over the past three years, the purchase cost of coffee beans for Russian importers and roasters has increased by approximately 80%. Last year alone, green coffee beans rose in price by 30–50%, while arabica increased by 35–55% depending on the country of origin.
Rising prices are being driven by crop problems in the largest producing countries. In Brazil, the coffee harvest was affected by heat, drought, and then heavy rains; in Vietnam, the largest supplier of robusta, by drought; in Colombia, production suffered after an earthquake. Additional pressure is being created by expensive logistics and rising transportation costs. Experts surveyed by Forbes expect that high-quality arabica may remain in short supply for another 2–3 years.
For Russia, the issue is particularly sensitive: the country is among the world’s largest coffee buyers. According to the International Coffee Organization, based on the results of 2025, the country ranked ninth in the world in import volume.
In such a market, Sierra Leone’s offer no longer looks like an exotic agricultural project, but rather an opportunity for Russian businesses to gain direct access to raw materials and diversify imports. However, the effect will be delayed: according to the ambassador, it will be 3-4 years before the first coffee from the new plantations is harvested.
For Sierra Leone, this means investment, jobs, and a guaranteed export market. For Russian companies, it is an opportunity to reduce dependence on price spikes and a few traditional suppliers in a market where coffee is becoming an increasingly expensive commodity.
