Posted on August 9, 2005 - by deCadmus

Kenya’s Troubled Coffee Market

Finding middle ground…

AllAfrica offers a smartly-written overview of Kenya’s troubled coffee market.

“In spite of the pleasure and sense of social cohesiveness that millions of coffee lovers around the world derive from this beverage, in Kenya - and indeed around the world - this is one crop many small growers view with a deep sense of betrayal and bitterness.

“Since the colonial times, the marketing of coffee in Kenya has been heavily regulated, to their detriment. Owing to the many livelihoods that coffee supports - and the big opportunities for profit that it offers corrupt cooperative officials and fly-by-night traders - the crop is so deeply entrenched in local and national politics.”