La Marzocco is happy to announce, on behalf of Vava Specialty, the 1st Fairtrade-certified coffee owned by smallholder women coffee farmers in Kenya and the first value-added coffee from all cooperative societies affiliated to Kipkelion District Cooperative Union will be launched for the first time in the local market on Thursday, 1st February 2018 in Kericho Town and on Friday, 2nd February 2018 in Nandi Town.  

This initiative, a pilot project for Fairtrade Africa, is being implemented in partnership with Solidaridad and Fairtrade Foundation (UK) geared to achieve objectives in the following key areas:

1. Promoting gender inclusion and equality amongst Fairtrade-certified smallholder coffee value chains by adopting coffee bush transfer model from husband to wife or father to youth daughters towards enabling women own assets (i.e. coffee bushes) in cases where they do not own land. This has allowed the women to register as members of cooperative societies, open bank account sell coffee and receive direct income. This model was started by the Chairman of Kabng’etuny Farmers Coffee Cooperative Society, Mr. Samson Koskei in 2012 and has spread from one household to over 500 households in Kabng’etuny and Kapkiyai cooperative societies and several other societies affiliated to Kipkelion District Cooperative Union where over 500 smallholder women coffee farmers now own an average 250 coffee bushes each. The women being members of their respective cooperative societies are able to participate in training, attend meetings, apply for jobs and vie for leadership and Governance positions within their communities. They have also formed Kabng’etuny & Kapkiyai Women in Coffee Associations (independent self-help groups) for further empowerment e.g. commercial maize mill for Kabng’etuny women in Coffee Association members where Fairtrade Africa and Fairtrade Foundation (UK) fundraised £10,000 seed capital used to purchase the maize mill machine in 2013.

2. Increasing coffee productivity & quality by training the women and male coffee farmers at Kabng’etuny and Kapkiyai Cooperative societies on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) increasing coffee yield from an average of 1.8kg of cherry per coffee bush to 3kg of cherry per coffee bush. The quality of the women coffee has also increased tremendously where more than 70% of production form premium grades (AA, AB & PB) from 25% of total production at project start.

3. Protecting environment by facilitating adoption of Green energy through construction of 400 biogas units for 290 women coffee farmers at Kabng’etuny Cooperative Society and 110 women coffee farmers at Kapkiyai Cooperative Society towards reducing deforestation due todependency on wood/charcoal fuel, increasing farm productivity by use of bioslurry, and promoting improved animal husbandry practices.

4. Identification & access of better markets for the First Fairtrade-certified smallholder women owned coffee from Kenya (called Zawadi Coffee) and Fairtrade–certified coffee from all affiliate smallholder cooperative societies milling at Kipkelion Union called Kipkelion Union Coffee through value addition i.e. roasting, blending, packaging and blending for sale into local markets. This process is underway and we are planning to launch the products on the 1st and 2nd of February 2018.