This article from the Kenya Coffee School
explains that coffee producers remain poor while non-producers grow rich due to a structural imbalance in the global coffee value chain.
The core argument is that the further one is from the farm, the greater the profit margin, effectively excluding youth and farmers in producing countries from the most profitable stages of the industry.
Here is a summary of the key reasons and proposed solutions:
The Producer’s Paradox: Why Farmers Remain Poor
The article highlights a painful contradiction: the communities that grow the world’s most celebrated coffees are often the poorest.
- Low Reward for High Labor: Farming demands the most labor, yet it is the least rewarded step in the value chain. Producers (including the youth in these communities) toil hard but are trapped in a poverty cycle.
- Exclusion from Value-Added Processes: Producers are excluded from the stages where the largest margins are made, including:
- Roasting ☕: The most profitable step.
- Branding and packaging.
- Export negotiations.
- Direct-to-consumer sales and e-commerce.
- Lack of Resources and Opportunities: Producing communities frequently lack adequate income, modern processing equipment, access to roasting and retail markets, and essential training, skills development, and fair opportunities.
In contrast, youth in non-producing cities (like New York, London, or Dubai) build profitable companies by benefiting from advanced technology, marketing infrastructure, access to capital, and global consumer markets.
A Call for Change: Respect the Farmers First
The article argues against the common industry phrase “respect the beans,” stating that it “romanticizes coffee while quietly removing farmers from the center of the narrative.”
The philosophy, championed by Kenya Coffee School Founder Alfred Gitau Mwaura, is to “Respect the Farmers First,” as they are the ones who deserve appreciation, recognition, and economic reward.
The proposed New Vision for Coffee aims to correct this imbalance by promoting: - Farmer-owned roasting businesses and Youth-led micro roasteries in producing counties.
- Transparent value chains where farmers are co-owners, not just suppliers.
- Initiatives that empower rural youth with digital badges and skills.
- Farmer-focused programs like the Kenya Coffee Awards, Kenya Coffee School (KCS) (which trains youth for professional careers in roasting, grading, and barista work), and the GOOD Trade Certification (a farmer-centered, digital-first certification model).
The fundamental solution is to include youth in coffee communities in every stage of the coffee value chain—from farming to processing, roasting, branding, and sales—to grant them the power and dignity they deserve.