How we choose the coffee we buy at origin: the case of Kenya

Knowing the origin of our coffees is something important to us. Kenya was our first trip with the objective of buying coffee (previously, we had visited different suppliers in other parts of the world).

Coffee cupping

Our mission there was to taste as many coffees as possible that the exporter SUCAFINA provided us with. In total, we tasted 130 coffees from different cooperatives and producers, among which, in our opinion, three stood out:

- Kibsia large lot of 1,700 kg, with an affordable price but a great quality for our customers who are looking for something simpler in their daily cup. It comes from a cooperative where more than 2,000 coffee producers participate, with PB grade.

- Muhathi600 kg from a single producer, Peris Wambui Karugondo, with AB grade, for our Special Filter category, ideal for customers looking for a fruity, tropical and dense coffee.

- Mukuyunialso from a cooperative, a 600 kg lot for our Special Filter category with AA grade, with tropical notes to treat yourself.

Why did we choose these coffees? Out of more than a hundred, these three were perfectly suited to our needs as roasters.

What do the grades mean?

In Kenya, coffee is graded according to the size of the beans. Here we explain some of the most common grades:

- AA: This is the highest grade and the one with the largest grains, highly appreciated for its quality and flavor, with a fruity and vibrant acidity.

- AB: Slightly smaller than AA but also with a similar high quality and flavor profile.

- PB: The name of these beans comes from peaberry because of their smaller, round pea-like shape and concentrated, sweet flavor.

How do you buy coffee in Kenya?

The Nairobi Coffee Exchange is the place where coffee auctions are centralized in Kenya. The producers deliver their coffee to cooperatives, where it is classified according to its quality, which influences the price for which it will be sold at auction, and there it is sold to the highest bidder. But this is not always the case, as in Colombia, where the market is less centralized and coffee is sold through direct contracts agreed with roasters or through the National Federation of Coffee Growers (NFC).

However, the system for buying and selling coffee in Kenya has evolved in recent years with the aim of improving farmers' incomes and making the process more transparent. Traditionally, the auctions involved middlemen who kept a high percentage of the profits. To avoid this, a digital platform was implemented in 2021 to encourage direct sales, thus increasing farmers' incomes.

For its part, the government has tried to improve the way in which the cooperatives manage resources, since this has not always been done properly. All these changes respond to the desire to make the Kenyan coffee market fairer, to offer better results in order to solve the economic difficulties faced by farmers and to be more competitive in the global market for high quality coffee.