- Kenya has raised concerns over a global coffee industry struggling to keep smallholder farmers in production.
- Calls for reforms are growing as growers face mounting pressure from poor returns and rising production challenges.
- International cooperation is emerging as a key part of efforts to secure the future of coffee farming.
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe has cautioned that the world coffee industry is endangering its own future unless it guarantees smallholder farmers a fair and sustainable income.
Speaking at the International Coffee Strategy Forum in Italy, Kagwe called for structural reforms at the global level. He argued that poor profitability pushes growers out of coffee and into other farming ventures, a trend that weakens the industry from its very foundation.
“When coffee provides inadequate returns, producers are forced to shift to alternative crops or other economic activities, directly threatening future supply chains worldwide,” Kagwe remarked during the global summit.
Kenya, he noted, offers a clear example of the damage. Production once reached about 150,000 metric tonnes, but output has since fallen to roughly 50,000 metric tonnes. Experts link the slump to ageing coffee trees, climate variability, limited finance and weak market incentives, all of which discourage smallholders from keeping their farms productive.
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To reverse the trend, the Cabinet Secretary urged governments, processors and other industry players to work together to raise global coffee consumption and open up wider markets for producing countries. However, he stressed that higher demand must translate into better and fairer earnings for farmers at the grassroots.
Technology, Kagwe added, could also reshape the trade. Digital platforms allow smallholders to reach international buyers directly, which cuts out opaque intermediaries, improves transparency and makes the value chain more efficient.
He also pointed to international cooperation as a key part of the solution. Kenya is working with Italy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to establish the Coffee Research and Training Institute in Nairobi. The institute will drive research, strengthen training and improve the long term competitiveness of Kenya’s coffee sector on the world stage.
By Benedict Aoya
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