Tchibo, Rainforest Alliance launch regenerative coffee project in Kenya
A new sustainability initiative aims to boost coffee yields for 5,000 Kirinyaga farmers amid opposition to government payout reforms.
KENYA – German-based coffee buyer Tchibo, in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance and the Mount Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods programme (MSuLLi), has launched a three-year initiative aimed at transforming the coffee sector in Kenya’s Kirinyaga County.
The project, titled “Brewing the Future Coffee to Stay”, will directly benefit approximately 5,000 farmers from the Inoi Coffee Cooperative Society.
The project seeks to improve the resilience and productivity of coffee farming in the Mount Kenya region, which faces mounting challenges including climate change, land degradation, and socio-economic pressures. These issues have significantly impacted smallholder farmers who form the backbone of the region’s agricultural economy.
Marion Ng’ang’a, Country Director at the Rainforest Alliance, stated that the project will work with approximately 5,000 smallholder farmers to build a sustainable agricultural system.
The project will focus on three strategic pathways: promoting regenerative and climate-smart agricultural practices, enhancing coffee business operations to improve yields and quality, and integrating women and youth into the coffee value chain through agricultural diversification.
Ng’ang’a explained that agroforestry would play a central role in the initiative, with the promotion of compatible high-value tree species recommended by the Coffee Research Institute.
Farmers will also receive training and support for conducting soil analysis to enable precise application of fertilisers and organic manure, thereby reducing waste and increasing efficiency.
Felix Mwai, Chairperson of the Inoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society, expressed optimism about the project’s impact, targeting a production increase from the current 630,000 kilograms to 2.2 million kilograms annually.
Despite this promising development, tensions are rising in Kirinyaga’s coffee sector due to a government directive on payment reforms.
Coffee farmers from the region have strongly opposed the Ministry of Cooperatives’ rollout of the Direct Settlement System (DSS), which mandates that farmers receive direct payments from the Nairobi Coffee Exchange based on the weight of coffee delivered.
During an annual general meeting of the Muirwa Cooperative Society, farmers expressed concern that the DSS would weaken cooperative societies and disadvantage smallholder producers who rely on collective bargaining and shared infrastructure.
The DSS, introduced in November last year and implemented this year, aims to ensure that farmers receive 80% of their dues within five days, with cooperatives retaining the remaining 20%.
However, farmers argue that the move threatens the viability of cooperatives, which they describe as vital support structures in the coffee sector.
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