Even though Kenyan specialty coffee is praised worldwide for its sweetness and complexity, its coffee industry is far from praiseworthy. Almost all coffee is traded through a central auction system that is corrupt and prevents transparency in the chain. This discourages young people from continuing the coffee trade and they start seeking employment in the cities.
Our importing partner This Side Up worked together with Stean’s Beans, who recently got their own export license in Kenya. Together, they have started importing Kenyan coffees directly and establishing our sustainability practices in this origin as well.
The value chain
The infographic below shows what the monetary value chain with this producer roughly looks like. This changes slightly per year based on volume and quality but is usually reliable over the years.
Key achievements
2021
First independent export.
The microlots
The story
Sakami Coffee is one of the most environmentally sustainable coffee farms in Kenya, founded in 2004 by Gloria and Jarmo Gummerus. It has a wet mill that is fully powered by solar panels. They grow a couple of different varieties (SL28, Batian, Ruiru11 and K7) according to permaculture principles that keeps the land and the other flora healthy. They consciously process waste products like cascara and residual water from the washing into organic compost. This way, they also try to inspire other farmers in the vicinity to produce more sustainable coffee, both environmentally and financially.
