Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has revealed that coffee farmers will sell their produce directly to Starbucks, eliminating intermediaries.
The DP said that the government is currently in discussions with Starbucks Corporation, the world’s largest coffee chain based in the United States, regarding a groundbreaking deal.
“The collaboration is expected to revolutionize the coffee industry in Kenya, benefiting more than 800,000 farmers and an additional five million workers who have long endured low incomes due to a system favoring middlemen and cartels,” the DP stated.
He lamented that the unfavorable conditions experienced by coffee farmers have prompted some of them to abandon coffee cultivation.
However, the DP added that the Government has embarked on an ambitious journey to reform the coffee sector and address the longstanding challenges.
American Ambassador Meg Whitman expressed her belief in the immense potential for American companies like Starbucks to thrive in Kenya’s coffee sector.
Starbucks, renowned for roasting, marketing, and retailing specialty coffee, boasts staggering revenues of $32.2 billion as of October 2022, underlining its extensive global reach.
With nearly 36,000 locations worldwide, the company plans to expand its presence, particularly in China, which is set to surpass its home market, the United States.
Additionally, Starbucks has ambitious growth plans across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
This development promises to bring a ray of hope to Kenyan coffee farmers, who have struggled for years to secure fair compensation for their hard work.
By Viola Chepkemoi
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