Rainforest Alliance (RA), an NGO, and Gusii Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (GCFCU) have partnered to launch a project to enhance sustainability and boost coffee production by ensuring the produce meets global standards.
Speaking during the launch at Dallas Inn Hotel in Kisii town yesterday, RA Country Director Marion Nduta said that the project dubbed ‘Gusii Regenerative Agriculture Landscape (GURAL) Coffee Project’ is among partnerships the Alliance is building to protect and restore forests, biodiversity, improve livelihoods, and promote human rights, gender equity and social inclusivity.
“We want to support tea and coffee farmers to adapt and mitigate climate change through nature-based solutions and locally-led actions,” Nduta said.
The Director noted that the high demand for coffee and tea in the global market has contributed to 75% of deforestation contributing to the climate change crisis.
She stated that most companies are driven by business interests and disregard sustainability, research and agro-biodiversity.
GCFCU CEO Dr. Robert Mainya lauded the Alliance for piloting the project in some coffee cooperative societies, adding that all cooperatives under the Union will be covered by December next year.
“The Union has 28 affiliate coffee cooperative societies and 6 are being piloted. We have 60,000 farmers who produce 15 million kilogrammes of coffee every year,” he said.
Nyamira CEC for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Alice Manoti lauded the Alliance for partnering with Kisii and Nyamira counties to enhance sustainable coffee production.
She said that the county has prioritized coffee production, noting that the upcoming industrial park will help to market the coffee to international markets to boost their revenue.
“We are ready to partner and take our coffee to the next level, manage the environment and test soil fertility to determine the right nutrients to plant specific crops to benefit farmers,” she added.
The County CEC for Water, Energy, Forests and Climate Change John Matiang’i said that the county has rolled out a campaign to remove eucalyptus trees from along riparian land and water sources.
Also in attendance were Kenya Coffee Platform Chairman Macharia Karugu, Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Officer Wyclife Choge, Africa JDE Roaster Company and Manager Dafrosa Sanga, and Kisii County Cooperatives Director Pamella Maasi.
By Emmanuel Gwakoi
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