Country Context
Kenya is one of coffee’s great paradoxes. Its top coffees command some of the highest prices in specialty, yet farmgate compensations are some of the lowest, with national production declining for decades. Traceability to some degree is a given, but direct trade remains difficult. Farmers legally own coffee to export, yet have often been farther from customers than almost anywhere else. Internationally, Kenya reads as a land of microlots, but on the ground it runs on volume—AA and elephant beans—with the “microlot” impression largely an artifact of rigorous grading. And yet, for all of its antiquated or misunderstood attributes, it also possesses a thrilling frontier in the West.
In 2023, reforms upended many longstanding systems. Marketing agents—the only parties licensed to sell producers’ coffees at auction—were dissolved in favor of decentralized licensing. The Cooperative Bank’s Direct Settlement System sped payment straight to farmers. Most important, private export channels opened. For farmers, this shift was both liberating and bewildering. Many producers are cupping for the first time, experimenting with fermentation, trialing lot separations, and paying attention where they once didn’t.
As we continue calibrating to these evolving systems, we are building a service-based export model that turns traditional intermediaries into calibrated service providers. A network of cuppers, agronomists, millers, banks, and exporters supports each export. Producers submit samples on schedule; we evaluate, score, and price them against the week’s auction using a cost-plus framework. Accepted coffees move into secondary milling, bagging, and export—with shared visibility throughout.
Right now, in spite of its tremendous possibilities, we are still in the critical trial/error stage as far as achieving desired results. We are incredibly fortunate to have such strong partners on the ground, particularly out west, as we continue plowing forward together.
