This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
Kenya's coffee farmers are facing a crisis as rising temperatures and low prices drive them to abandon their crops. The country's coffee production is expected to hit a 57-year low in the 2019/20 harvest, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Farmer Shadrack Mutisya, who has been growing coffee for 40 years, has replaced most of his bushes with banana, macadamia, and avocado trees. 'Now we see diseases that we never saw before,' he said, citing the impact of climate change on his farm.
Kenya produces only 0.5% of global coffee, but plays a significant role in the high-quality market. However, the country's coffee production is tumbling, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that the number of coffee farmers is falling.
Global coffee prices have plunged to 2005 lows of 86 cents per pound this year, far below the cost of production in most of the world. In Kenya, where beans are hand-picked, the low prices are making it difficult for farmers to sustain their businesses.
According to USAid, average Kenyan temperatures have risen by 0.3 degrees per decade since 1985. This, combined with more erratic rainfall, is reducing quality and yields. In the 1960s, Kenya averaged one storm day per year, but in 2017, there were five storm days.
Matthew Harrison, a buyer at speciality coffee sourcing company Trabocca, described Kenya as 'the 'champagne' region for coffee.' However, he warned that the diminishing volume of coffee production is 'very concerning for the speciality coffee world.'
