Coffee farming provides lifeline for Kenya’s central region

It was just past midday when Richard Muthie stood at the gate of the Mutira Farmers’ Cooperative Society coffee factory, ready to deliver his harvest. Along with the 50-year-old farmer were 30 kg of ripe, red coffee berries freshly picked by him earlier that morning. Since the start of the year, Muthie has delivered 400 kg of coffee berries for processing at the cooperative’s mill, located about four km from his half-acre farm in Kenya’s central county of Kirinyaga. The land, inherited from his father, has been his source of livelihood. “Coffee provides me with income to meet my household needs,” Muthie said. Muthie is one of 8,000 smallholder farmers who collectively own the Mutira Farmers’ Cooperative Society. They play a vital role in the cooperative’s operations, which are deeply intertwined with the region’s agricultural rhythms. Martin Kinyua, the secretary of the cooperative, said that the coffee harvesting season begins in October and typically concludes by year’s end. ...