Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has called for reforms in the global coffee industry, saying farmers must earn better returns if coffee production is to remain viable.
Speaking at Italy’s International Coffee Strategy Forum, Kagwe said producing and consuming countries need to work together to address falling production, improve farmers’ earnings and find new markets for coffee.
He cited Kenya’s declining coffee production, which has dropped from about 150,000 metric tonnes to 50,000 metric tonnes, saying the trend points to the need for policies that make coffee farming more attractive to farmers.
Kagwe said farmers need to see better returns from their work, especially as they consider other agricultural activities that may offer better earnings.
He pointed to the Coffee Act as one of the measures Kenya is using to strengthen the sector, particularly in the regulation of local and export markets. He also highlighted the role of coffee research in improving production and the performance of the industry.
The CS said the future of the coffee business depends on the farmers who grow the crop, warning that the industry cannot remain sustainable if producers do not earn enough from their work.
He urged international coffee companies to invest in farmers’ welfare, noting that their businesses depend on a reliable supply of coffee.
Kagwe also called for more efforts to market Kenyan coffee internationally. He said the country could draw lessons from the promotion of Kenyan tea, with governments, processors and other industry players working together to increase demand for coffee in global markets.
On international trade rules, Kagwe raised concerns about the need to ensure that regulations take into account the realities faced by farmers.
He cited the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), calling for coffee to be recognised as a tree crop and for compliance requirements to reflect conditions on the ground.
The CS also pointed to digital technology as a way of improving coffee trading, saying it could help small-scale farmers connect more directly with international buyers.
Such connections could improve farmers’ access to markets and bring greater transparency to the coffee value chain.
Kenya is also working with Italy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to establish the Coffee Research and Training Institute in Nairobi.
The partnership is expected to support coffee research and skills development, while helping strengthen Kenya’s position in the international coffee market.
