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Kenya
By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

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“East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector”

East Africa

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

An important source of foreign currency, coffee exports are the subject of a power struggle between multinational trading companies and the region's coffee-producing countries, chief among which are Ethiopia and Kenya. While governments try to impose reforms designed to favour local producers and intermediaries, international traders, notably German and Swiss, seek to maintain their dominant position. Fuelling the stand-off are new European Union directives on traceability and the social and environmental impact of agricultural products, which will have major repercussions across the entire sector. [...]

Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. © Daniel Irungu/EPA/MaxPPP

Rigathi Gachagua wants to get the multinationals out of the trading business and to encourage the development of national traders. But the three market leaders have made themselves indispensable to financing the sector. [...]

Published on 28.06.2023 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 3 minutes

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Commodity traders

Read this article in our running story

“East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector”

East Africa

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

Set up email notifications for these topics

Agriculture and Food Authority
C. Dormans
Capital Market Authority
Cecily Mbarire
Central Kenya Coffee Mill
CMS Mills
Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund
Coffee Management Services
Commodities Fund
Ecom Agroindustrial Corp
Ibero Kenya
Kahawa Bora Millers
Kenya Kwanza
Mithika Linturi
Nairobi Coffee Exchange
Neumann Kaffee Group
NKG Coffee Mills
Oaklands Coffee Marketing
Rigathi Gachagua
Suca Sustainability
Sucafina
Sustainable Management Services
Tropical Farm Management Kenya

Kenya
Ruto refuses to cancel coffee growers' debts

The coffee sector has struggled to find funding since recent reforms sidelined multinational traders. Meanwhile, the government is having a hard time selling its own proposals.

Subscribers only Finance, Politics 22.02.2024

Kenya
Gachagua quietly hands coffee reform reins to controversial Kenyatta-era economist

The deputy president's efforts to shake up a pillar of Kenya's economy are directly inspired by the work of Joseph Kieyah, an academic whom ex-president Uhuru Kenyatta tasked with breathing new life into the sector in 2016 and who is now back in the picture.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Politics 01.02.2024

Ethiopia
New EU rules prompt coffee sector to seek fresh markets

Africa's largest coffee producer is set to bear the brunt of Brussels's new traceability directives. Consequently, it has begun to turn its attention to India and China.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 06.12.2023

Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

The US mega-chain has decided not to buy its coffee directly from Kenyan producers. This is unwelcome news for the country's deputy president, who has been tussling with multinational traders and is now trying to smooth things over.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Politics 21.11.2023

Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Bogota, Colombia, on 12 September 2023.

Kenya
Gachagua's coffee reforms leave bitter taste in Mount Kenya

Kenya's deputy president is doing what he can to make up for coffee farmers' loss of financial support from multinational traders. But the public funds recently made available may not be enough to keep producers sweet.

Subscribers only Politics, Business 26.10.2023

Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

The deputy president, who has embarked on an ambitious reform of the coffee industry, has set his sights on major traders. But with sales on the Nairobi Coffee Exchange plummeting, the main players targeted have no intention of rolling over.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Politics 09.10.2023

Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Kenya
Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's zealous coffee reforms, aimed at giving Kenyan firms a larger share of the spoils, have hit multinationals like Neumann Kaffee Gruppe hard. They are also part of the government's attack on the interests of ex-president Kenyatta.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 18.09.2023

Samples of coffee beans sit at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange on 11 June 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Set up email notifications for these topics

Agriculture and Food Authority
C. Dormans
Capital Market Authority
Cecily Mbarire
Central Kenya Coffee Mill
CMS Mills
Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund
Coffee Management Services
Commodities Fund
Ecom Agroindustrial Corp
Ibero Kenya
Kahawa Bora Millers
Kenya Kwanza
Mithika Linturi
Nairobi Coffee Exchange
Neumann Kaffee Group
NKG Coffee Mills
Oaklands Coffee Marketing
Rigathi Gachagua
Suca Sustainability
Sucafina
Sustainable Management Services
Tropical Farm Management Kenya

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Kenya
By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

This article may be accessed by subscribers

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East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

Set up email notifications for these topics

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Gachagua quietly hands coffee reform reins to controversial Kenyatta-era economist

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Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

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Indigo Publications' websites

About Africa Intelligence

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Indigo Publications' websites

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Kenya By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

This article may be accessed by subscribers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

create a free account

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

Set up email notifications for these topics

Kenya Ruto refuses to cancel coffee growers' debts

Kenya Gachagua quietly hands coffee reform reins to controversial Kenyatta-era economist

Ethiopia New EU rules prompt coffee sector to seek fresh markets

Kenya Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya Gachagua's coffee reforms leave bitter taste in Mount Kenya

Kenya Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

Kenya Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Kenya Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Kenya Gachagua's coffee sector reforms challenge dominance of foreign traders

Kenya Gachagua seeks to revive glory days of Kenya's coffee sector

Kenya Deputy President Gachagua aims to reign over Mount Kenya

Kenya Ruto consolidates his bastions and chips away at Odinga's with his new government

Set up email notifications for these topics

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Guinea
Behind the scenes of Mamadi Doumbouya's offensive on Russian miner Nordgold

DRC
Dan Gertler's billions of dollars in royalties at heart of huge legal battle

Kenya
By targeting foreign traders, deputy president alienates part of coffee industry

Kenya
Ruto refuses to cancel coffee growers' debts

Kenya
Gachagua quietly hands coffee reform reins to controversial Kenyatta-era economist

Ethiopia
New EU rules prompt coffee sector to seek fresh markets

Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya
Gachagua's coffee reforms leave bitter taste in Mount Kenya

Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

Kenya
Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Kenya
Gachagua's coffee sector reforms challenge dominance of foreign traders

Kenya
Gachagua seeks to revive glory days of Kenya's coffee sector

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua aims to reign over Mount Kenya

Kenya
Ruto consolidates his bastions and chips away at Odinga's with his new government