Climate Change Threatens Kenya's Celebrated Coffee

In the lush, volcanic highlands of Komothai in central Kenya, farmers like Simon Macharia cultivate coffee on small plantations scattered across the hillsides.

Despite its global demand, Kenyan coffee farmers struggle to earn a living.

Farmers deliver sacks of bright red coffee cherries to local processing plants, where the cherries are weighed and treated, Ismail Einashe reported for BBC News.

“We call coffee the black gold around here,” Macharia, whose farm spans 2.5 hectares (six acres), told the BBC. He grows the prized Kenya AA coffee beans, known globally for their high quality, full-bodied flavor, deep aromas, and fruity notes.

However, producing coffee is a substantial investment, as it takes four years for the trees to mature. Despite its global demand, Kenyan coffee farmers struggle to earn a living.

Edita Mwangi, a coffee harvester, earns about $1.40 a day for six days of work, while the price of a single cup of coffee in European cafés often exceeds $4 (£3.20). "They don't know the poverty we suffer. We struggle day and night just to survive," Mwangi said.

Adding to the farmers' woes is climate change. Coffee trees are highly sensitive to changes in temperature and weather. John Murigi, chairman of the Komothai Coffee Society, said erratic rainfall and cold temperatures have drastically reduced coffee yields in recent years.

“Climate change is a major challenge for our coffee farmers,” Murigi warned.