Kenya’s Coffee Crisis: Shrinking Farms, Soaring Global Demand

Kenya’s once-thriving coffee sector is in steep decline, with output plummeting to just 48,700 metric tonnes in 2023, down more than half from previous decades. Farmers have shifted to real estate or alternative crops, shrinking coffee acreage by 30% since the 1990s. Ironically, this collapse coincides with record-high global prices for Kenyan Arabica, now trading at $370 per 60 kg—more than double 2019–2020 levels. Despite coffee being Kenya’s most valuable agricultural export, the country has failed to capitalize on booming demand. Coffee farmers earn far more than tea growers, raising a pressing question: how can Kenya revive its coffee legacy?

African Business