Kenyan coffee: a product that is already exceptional, an economic strategy under construction

Science at work 13 April 2026
Kenya has unique terroirs for coffee growing, between the volcanic zones of Mount Kenya and those of the Rift Valley. Despite the excellent reputation of its coffees, the country’s value chain still has difficulty marketing its products worldwide. However, even in this ultra-competitive context, a solution is emerging: using geographical indications to structure the value chain and help Kenyan coffee to stand out from the competition on the global market.
Freshly roasted Arabica coffee beans © A. Rival, CIRAD

Freshly roasted Arabica coffee beans © A. Rival, CIRAD

The essentials

  • Kenya is in the midst of a sectoral reform to revitalise its coffee value chain, which already encompasses large numbers of producers and roasters, and historical skills and terroirs. Geographical indications (GIs) are one of the possible levers for boosting this dynamic. 
  • The GI Support Fund (Facilité IG), an initiative implemented by CIRAD and the Agence française de développement, is conducting pilot projects in the country to test, adapt and anchor the GI model within the context in Kenya. In addition to the labelling possibilities they offer, the considerable advantage of GIs is how they operate: rules are decided on collectively, which naturally smooths collaboration between the stakeholders in a given value chain.

For several years now, Kenya has been working on a major restructuring of its coffee value chain. The country recently launched the Coffee Act 2026, which affirms its political will to make Kenyan coffees more competitive in a global market currently estimated at 500 billion dollars. Several legal tools are due to be rolled out, which could include geographical indications (GIs).

GIs: a tool for organising collaboration between all the stakeholders in the value chain

On 24 March, the Alliance Française de Nairobi hosted an expert discussion on GIs and their potential for the Kenyan coffee value chain. Around the table were national institutions, producer organisations, the financial sector, market operators and the world of research (CIRAD). All the participants shared the view that GIs are not a technical matter, but a tool for structuring and organising value chains.

As Prof. Joseph Kieyah, Chairman of the Coffee Sub-Sector Reforms Implementation Standing Committee, said, the discussions of GIs mark a turning point for the coffee value chain in Kenya. What is now required is a debate on demand, and not merely on production. Kenya has an undeniable comparative advantage: the diversity of its terroirs (the volcanic regions of Mount Kenya, the Rift Valley and the West), which is already recognised on speciality markets. Operations must now be structured to maximise the chances of accessing those markets, and GIs are a good potential lever for this.

From Prof. Kieyah’s point of view, GIs are simultaneously an economic, strategic and political opportunity, provided they are rapidly included in the current institutional dynamics.

Several Kenyan coffee brands were prested at the expert discussion on 24 March, at the Alliance Française de Nairobi © Alliance Française de Nairobi

Several Kenyan coffee brands were prested at the expert discussion on 24 March, at the Alliance Française de Nairobi © Alliance Française de Nairobi


A perfect window of opportunity

For Elvine Apiyo, Assistant Registrar of Trademarks, at the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), “there is real potential, but a system to be built”. Kenya already has a legal basis through collective marks and certifications but the draft bill on GIs is taking time to be adopted.

The discussion in March revealed strong interest in GIs, but also a need to raise awareness among the entire range of stakeholders in the sector of this emerging concept. The ongoing sui generis bill aims to establish a dedicated framework, strengthen the protection of products of origin and clarify management and control mechanisms.

In addition to the favourable legal context, the economic context is also right. This was highlighted by Isaac Mithenya, food and agriculture specialist at Tea & Coffee Equity Bank (Kenya) Ltd., a major financial player in East Africa with which CIRAD is currently preparing to sign a regional partnership agreement. According to I. Mithenya, the Kenyan coffee value chain is already sufficiently mature to engage in operational discussions on GIs. The main challenge lies in the ability to transform a reputation for quality into a structured economic asset. In other words, exploiting the bankability of Kenyan coffee’s undeniable origin and quality.

As the specialist also said, by introducing collective rules, verifiable standards and greater transparency, GIs reduce uncertainty. This is a key factor in accessing favourable financing. Risk assessment is improved, enabling financial institutions to invest more confidently.

Last but not least, neighbouring countries have already embarked on pilot coffee GI projects, supported by CIRAD via the GI Support Fund. In Ethiopia, the establishment of a sui generis legal framework is being accompanied by efforts to embed it locally through regional workshops, enabling the legal framework to be aligned with on-the-ground realities. In Uganda, the Rwenzori Mountain of the Moon Coffee GI project illustrates an integrated approach combining capacity building for stakeholders and support for better market positioning.

In Kenya, in addition to coffee, the initiative surrounding Mau Forest honey represents a first concrete case of the use of GIs, with advanced work on biochemical and sensory characterisation, geographical demarcation and the mobilisation of beekeepers who depend on this threatened forest massif.

See also