UNEA-7, Donors & Government

Restoring the Missing Block in the “C” Market: The Divinity of Coffee

Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, development partners,

Thank you for this moment. I stand here to speak for millions of smallholder farmers whose voices are rarely heard in global forums, yet whose work sustains our daily lives. I am here to speak about coffee—not as the world trades it, but as the world depends on it.

For too long, the global “C” Market has reduced coffee to a number. A number disconnected from climate realities, from human struggle, and from the cultural heritage that coffee carries.
But coffee is not just a commodity.
There is a missing block in the global system—a truth the market has forgotten: coffee has divinity.

And this divinity is human.

Coffee is culture—rooted deeply in the identity of farming communities.
Coffee is livelihood—it feeds families and educates children.
Coffee is education—training youth in agronomy, sustainability, value addition, and global skills through institutions like Kenya Coffee School and Barista Mtaani.
Coffee is community—connecting rural farmers to urban markets and entire nations to shared climate goals.
And for millions, coffee is the pathway out of poverty.

Yet the current market structure does not reward sustainability, does not account for climate vulnerability, and does not honor the people who grow the crop that fuels a global industry.

We need a new approach.

This is why initiatives such as GOOD Trade Certification, youth-centered training programs, and climate-smart innovations are emerging across Kenya and the region. They place dignity above speculation, reward sustainability, and empower the next generation.

Today, I call on UNEA-7, on donors, and on governments to support this shift:

• Invest in climate-resilient farming systems.
• Fund youth training and value-addition programs.
• Champion fair and transparent certification models.
• Protect coffee landscapes as vital ecosystems and vital economies.

If we act together, we will not only protect an industry—we will safeguard millions of livelihoods and advance key SDGs on poverty, climate action, decent work, and sustainable production.

Let us restore what the market forgot.
Let us return divinity to coffee.
And let us build a future where farmers, youth, and communities thrive.

Thank you.