“In the beautiful volcanic highlands of Komothai in Kenya’s Rift Valley, farmers like Simon Macharia cultivate coffee on small plantations scattered across the hillsides. With other farmers, Mr. Macharia brings sacks of his bright red coffee cherries to the local processing plant, where they are weighed and treated. A machine removes the red husks, and the pale beans inside are washed and processed along concrete channels, ending up on drying platforms that stretch across the valley. Workers then sort the beans into grades, with the highest grades destined for European coffee houses.
Mr. Macharia, whose farm covers 2.5 hectares (six acres), describes coffee as “black gold” in this area. He grows Kenya AA coffee beans, known worldwide for their high quality, full body, deep aromas, and fruity flavor. The crop has been a part of these lush highlands since the late 1890s, introduced by British colonial settlers. Now, the region is renowned for its top-rated coffee.
Growing coffee berries is labor-intensive, requiring tasks such as picking, pruning, weeding, spraying, fertilizing, and transporting products. Mr. Macharia emphasizes the full-time dedication needed for coffee farming, especially during the blooming and harvest seasons. A coffee tree is a significant investment for farmers, as it takes four years for the fruits to mature.
Despite the high price of a cup of coffee in Europe, many Kenyan coffee laborers earn just $2.30 a day, highlighting the disparity in the industry. Edita Mwangi, a coffee harvester in Komothai, shares the struggles faced by workers trying to survive on low wages. She works six days a week, earning about $1.40 a day, and has to walk 5km to reach the farm where she works.
Farmers in Komothai feel that the trading system between Kenya and Europe has been unfair for years, and now they face a new threat – climate change. Coffee trees are sensitive to weather conditions, and changes in temperature and rainfall patterns are affecting production. Climate change is intensifying the spread of diseases in coffee plants, leading to decreased production in recent years.
To combat outbreaks, farmers are resorting to herbicides and insecticides that can damage soil quality and pose health risks. The use of herbicides containing glyphosates, banned in some European countries, raises concerns about the long-term impact on both the environment and human health. Additionally, coffee production requires a significant amount of water, and changing weather patterns in Kenya’s Rift Valley are affecting water availability for farmers.
Joseph Kimani, a farmer in the region, notes that erratic weather patterns have led to decreased river levels, forcing farmers to rely more on river water. This increased reliance on river water may further strain the already limited water supply in the area. While there are differing opinions on the reasons for the drying up of rivers, the impact of coffee farming on water resources in the region is evident.
The challenges faced by coffee farmers in Komothai are not unique and highlight the complex issues surrounding coffee production in Kenya’s Rift Valley.” A medida que las temperaturas globales y las sequías aumentan, el buen café se volverá difícil de cultivar en todas partes del mundo.
Una vez que los granos se secan, generalmente se exportan para su posterior procesamiento [Kate Stanworth]
El café solo se puede cultivar en el “cinturón del café” – regiones tropicales de todo el mundo en áreas típicamente ubicadas a una altitud de entre 1.000m y 2.000m.
En los últimos años, el cambio climático ha provocado una escasez de suministros de café a nivel global y un aumento en el precio del café debido a la sequía y a los fracasos de los cultivos en varias naciones clave productoras de café como Brasil y Vietnam.
Una encuesta realizada por Fairtrade International, la organización detrás de las etiquetas de Comercio Justo, encontró que el 93% de los caficultores kenianos ya están experimentando los efectos del cambio climático.
La industria del café en Kenia es una fuente clave de empleo, proporcionando trabajo para un estimado de 150,000 personas.
Para proteger la industria, los caficultores en áreas como Komothai están experimentando con técnicas de adaptación al clima, como plantar árboles para proporcionar sombra adicional a las plantas de café.
El Sr. Murigi dijo que solo abordando los desafíos climáticos y económicos a los que se enfrentan los caficultores kenianos, podrán tener un futuro sostenible.
Sin embargo, caficultores como el Sr. Macharia son pesimistas sobre el futuro de la industria.
“En este momento, tal como están las cosas, no creo que ningún padre quiera que su hijo esté aquí cultivando café,” dijo.
John Murigi está preocupado por el impacto que el cambio climático está teniendo en los agricultores a los que representa [Kate Stanworth]
También te puede interesar:
[Getty Images/BBC]
Visita BBCAfrica.com para más noticias del continente africano.
Síguenos en Twitter @BBCAfrica, en Facebook en BBC Africa o en Instagram en bbcafrica