Last year I did a project for the European Union analysing sustainable consumption and production. One of them involved coffee, and I have had a chance to reread it, so I have posted a summary of a project report below. This is still subject to change, so it's good to keep it in mind as a piece of knowledge.
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The coffee sector in Kenya is estimated to employ 30% of the agricultural sector workforce (5 million people) and determines the livelihoods and economic status of over 800,000 rural households. It is estimated that Kenya exports 47.7 tonnes of coffee per year, which is about 5% of its export earnings. Coffee is a significant contributor to the country's GDP from the agricultural sector. Despite being an essential commodity, the processes of cultivation, production and marketing of coffee are in decline. The effects of climate change, such as short seasons and unreliable and erratic rainfall, pose unforeseen challenges to producing high-quality yields. Coupled with hazardous living conditions, outdated technology and fragile markets, these factors threaten the country's economic growth as coffee growers switch to less risky commodities.
To address those mentioned above economic, social and environmental issues facing the Kenyan coffee industry, Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) has emerged as a comprehensive solution.
The implementation of SCP practices will help Kenya achieve its conditional Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ratified in the Paris Agreement to meet the target of reducing the country's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030. At the international level, these SCPs are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 12: "Promote resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, access to basic services, environmentally sound work and a better quality of life for all".
