This archive report was first published on 26 October 2019.
Published on October 26, 2019, by Patrick Mbataru, a renowned author and journalist.
More than 30 years ago, the fairtrade movement was launched to raise awareness about the plight of coffee producers and force multinationals and consumers to take notice.
However, queries are emerging on whether these radical ways have added any value to the pockets of coffee farmers.
According to Fernando de la Cruz, the CEO of Cafe for Change, a coffee social pressure group in the Netherlands, fairtrade has had little impact on the welfare of small-scale producers.
De la Cruz argues that the plethora of certification programmes, little change in prices, and the inability of farmers to meet requirements have increased confusion, while the infiltration of fairtrade systems by multinationals has further complicated the issue.
Most coffee coops and estates in Kenya have subscribed to different certification programmes, with the aim of receiving above-average market prices if they meet a slew of criteria.
However, analysts argue that trade and ethics are like water and oil, and the idea of 'fairtrade' is a contradiction.
Prof Joseph Kieyah, the chairman of the Coffee Reforms Implementation Committee formed by President Kenyatta, says that the fees charged annually by certification firms just add to the cost of production.
Farmer organisations and estates pay between Sh350,000 and Sh1 million to certification companies, which has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the fairtrade system.
But not all farmers think fairtrade is a bad idea. James Ngatia, the manager of Gikanda Coffee Society in Mathira, Nyeri, says that they get a premium above the market value for coffee sold, and there are more benefits compared to the Sh350,000 they pay annually to the Germany-based certification company.
Michael Warui, the CEO of Fairview Estate in Kiambu, is full of praises of the system, saying that the trick is to follow the rules laid down by certification companies.
Warui adds that thanks to fairtrade, they have a branded product, 'Fairview Coffee', that they sell all over the world, and it has also promoted the coffee tourism concept where visitors to his farm experience how coffee is produced and participate in picking.
