Kirinyaga coffee farmers to benefit as RainForest Alliance launches a program to increase coffee production

Farmers of Inoi Cooperative society in Kirinyaga County is set to benefit from a 3-year program dubbed ‘Brewing the Future Coffee to Stay’, funded by German (Tchibo) under the Mount Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods program (MSuLLi).

The project led by the Rainforest Alliance aims to address the challenges in the coffee sector through promotion of regenerative agriculture, climate-smart practices, and the inclusion of women and youth in the coffee sector, with the purpose to improve coffee yields, quality, and resilience against climate change.

This follows after German buyer(Tchibo) came in through the Rainforest Alliance after it emerged that the region is facing challenges due to climate change, land degradation and social-economic pressures, erratic rainfall and unsustainable farming practices that have led to  soil erosion, declining soil fertility and reduced agricultural productivity.

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Rainforest Alliance country director Marion Ng’ang’a said that the program aims to boost over 5,000 small scale coffee farmers who are key to the region’s economy. However, he said that they stand vulnerable to the challenges, thus low productivity; thus the need to boost and increase production in order to improve their livelihoods.

Ng’ang’a, encouraged women and youth to get into coffee farming citing a gap-that needs to be filled.

“I encourage women, youths to be engaged in coffee farming since they are the marginalized and left out it its value chain, and also bridge the gap that is so wide,” She said.

She said that the main agenda of the program is to conserve Mount Kenya ecosystem which is major water tower for Kenya; and also adapt regenerative agriculture and climate-smart practices.

She added that the project will also strengthen coffee business by creating market linkages, so that coffee produces meet premium market standards.

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Felix Mwai, Chairperson Inoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society, said the training will be a turnaround in operations of the society in terms of production as from 2021 the society has witnessed an increase of the current coffee produced of 630,000 kilos annually to a target of 2.2 million.

“When the current board of management came in place, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of our coffee from 630,000 kilos to around 2.2 million, Inoi has been the best coffee producer and we promise to go back to being the best if we agree to adapt the best farming methods,” Mwai added.

By Jane Mugambi

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