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Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

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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. [...]

Kenya's Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. © Sebastian Barros/NurPhoto via AFP

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. [...]

Published on 09.10.2023 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 4 minutes

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Commodity traders, Politics

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

Kenya
Agriculture and Food Authority
and
Benson Apuoyo
C. Dorman
Cariappa Nadikerianda
Chris Kiptoo
Commercial Coffee Millers
Ecom
Ibero Kenya
James Muriithi
Julius Korir
Kello Harsama
Kennedy Keya
Kenya Coffee Traders Association
Marketing Agents Association
Nairobi Coffee Exchange
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe states its case
NKG Coffee Mills
NKG East Africa in Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua
Sasini
Sucafina
Sucastainability Kenya
Sustainable Management Services
Tropical Farm Management

Kenya
Trading giants try to weather coffee reform storm

Several Kenyan counties with mounting stocks of green beans have begun to defy Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's directives by again granting licences to multinationals.

Subscribers only Commodity traders 17.04.2024

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
Isolated deputy president Gachagua curbs his lofty ambitions

Kenya's deputy president is losing support within the ruling party, where some are plotting to oust him, and is seeking appeasement by toning down his ambitions.

Subscribers only Politics 20.11.2023

Kenya's President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua in Nairobi, Kenya, 4 September 2023.

Ethiopia
Coffee sector hobbled by drive for foreign currency

The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority has come under fire after limiting the amount of coffee that private individuals can take out of the country. It has been juggling the difficult task of regulating the sector with its ambitious targets for bringing dollars into the country.

Subscribers only Commodity traders, Business 16.11.2023

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua woos Christian and Kikuyu leaders

Rigathi Gachagua is courting Christian leaders and the bigwigs of his Kikuyu community, of which he aspires to be the leader. This is a fresh attempt by the deputy president to consolidate his influence in central Kenya, where he remains a contested figure.

Subscribers only Politics 23.10.2023

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

Kenya
Agriculture and Food Authority
and
Benson Apuoyo
C. Dorman
Cariappa Nadikerianda
Chris Kiptoo
Commercial Coffee Millers
Ecom
Ibero Kenya
James Muriithi
Julius Korir
Kello Harsama
Kennedy Keya
Kenya Coffee Traders Association
Marketing Agents Association
Nairobi Coffee Exchange
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe
Neumann Kaffee Gruppe states its case
NKG Coffee Mills
NKG East Africa in Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua
Sasini
Sucafina
Sucastainability Kenya
Sustainable Management Services
Tropical Farm Management

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Kenya
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

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East Africa's hotly contested coffee sector

Set up email notifications for these topics

Kenya
Trading giants try to weather coffee reform storm

Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya
Isolated deputy president Gachagua curbs his lofty ambitions

Ethiopia
Coffee sector hobbled by drive for foreign currency

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Deputy President Gachagua woos Christian and Kikuyu leaders

Kenya
Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

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Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

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

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Gachagua's coffee sector reforms challenge dominance of foreign traders

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Indigo Publications' websites

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Kenya Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

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 Trading giants try to weather coffee reform storm

Kenya Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya Isolated deputy president Gachagua curbs his lofty ambitions

Ethiopia Coffee sector hobbled by drive for foreign currency

Kenya Deputy President Gachagua woos Christian and Kikuyu leaders

Kenya Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Kenya Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Spotlight | Kenya Ruto-Kenyatta tea war spreads to KTDA

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

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

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
Rigathi Gachagua's coffee reforms rile multinationals

Kenya
Trading giants try to weather coffee reform storm

Kenya
Starbucks pours cold water on Gachagua's plans

Kenya
Isolated deputy president Gachagua curbs his lofty ambitions

Ethiopia
Coffee sector hobbled by drive for foreign currency

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua woos Christian and Kikuyu leaders

Kenya
Kenya coffee reforms pummel multinationals, boost local firms

Kenya
Deputy President Gachagua single-handedly steers ambitious coffee reform

Spotlight | Kenya
Ruto-Kenyatta tea war spreads to KTDA

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

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