Restoration Module 1: Foundational Coffee & The Global Context*(Connecting Farm-to-Cup with Planetary Health)1.1 Introduction to Specialty Coffee & Good Trade (G4T)
KCS-OU, Barista Mtaani, G4T Curriculum: Brewing Hope, Brewing
- The Coffee Value Chain: From cherry to cup, identifying key players.
- G4T Principles: Defining ‘Good Trade,’ ethical sourcing, farmer empowerment, and environmental accountability.
- Quality Grading & Sensory Skills: Introduction to cupping and the KCS Coffee Skills Program structure.
1.2 Environmental Crisis & Coffee Resilience - The State of the Environment (UNEA Collaboration Focus): Global and local environmental challenges (e.g., deforestation, water scarcity, pollution).
- Climate Change & Coffee: Impact on Coffea arabica (especially SL28/34) growing regions, pest migration, and yield fluctuation.
- The Restoration Mandate: Understanding the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and coffee’s role in it.
Module 2: Restoration, Regenerative Agriculture & Biodiversity
(Healing the Soil, Securing the Future)
2.1 Regenerative Coffee Systems - Principles of Regeneration: Minimum soil disturbance (no-till), maximizing soil cover (mulching), crop diversity (polyculture), and living roots.
- Soil Health & Carbon Sequestration: The role of healthy soil as a carbon sink. Practical applications of biochar and compost creation using coffee byproducts.
- Water Management & Conservation: Rainwater harvesting, construction of swales, and climate-smart irrigation techniques.
2.2 Preserving Natural Resilience - Coffee Varietal Diversity: Deep dive into the classic Kenyan varieties: SL28 and SL34—their cup profile, genetics, and susceptibility to disease.
- Seed Saving & Gene Pool Preservation: Practical techniques for seed saving to preserve superior, resilient versions of SL28/34 within Farmer Co-operative Societies (FCS).
- Natural Resilience vs. GMOs: A critical discussion on creating natural coffee resilience through agroforestry and biodiversity, rejecting Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) in coffee.
- Agroforestry & Biodiversity: Integrating shade trees (e.g., Grevillea robusta, Macadamia) and food crops for diversified income and habitat creation.
Module 3: Circular Economy, Valorization, & Green Jobs
(Waste as Resource, Innovation as Opportunity)
3.1 The Circular Coffee Economy - From Linear to Circular: Understanding the principles of the circular economy (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in the coffee sector.
- Waste Audits: Mapping waste streams at the farm (pulp, parchment, wastewater) and in the café (spent grounds, plastic, packaging).
- Valorization & By-Products: Transforming coffee waste into high-value products:
- Cascara: Processing and market for coffee cherry tea.
- Compost & Biofertilizers: Converting pulp/grounds into organic inputs.
- Biogas/Biofuel: Utilizing coffee effluent for energy production.
3.2 Green Jobs & Agri-Entrepreneurship - Identifying Green Skills: Training for roles in regenerative farming consultancy, circular economy processing, eco-friendly logistics, and sustainable café management.
- Green Business Models: Developing and pitching value-added businesses (e.g., cascara processing facility, specialty coffee packaging, artisan coffee soap).
- Financial Literacy & Access to Green Finance/Grants.
Module 4: Agri-Food Systems, Policy, & Collaboration
(Scaling Impact through Partnership)
4.1 Evaluation of Agri-Food Systems & Supply Chains - Tracing the Footprint: Assessing the environmental and social impact of current coffee supply chains (carbon, water, labour).
- Creating a Greener Economy: Strategies for optimizing logistics, reducing chemical inputs, and achieving higher price points for regeneratively grown coffee.
- Certification Systems: In-depth study of G4T, Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance—their standards and market relevance.
4.2 Strategic Collaboration & Governance - Higher Education & Research: Strategies for partnership with KCS-OU and local universities to drive research on climate-resilient farming and value addition.
- Cooperative FCS Collaboration: Best practices in co-operative governance, transparency, financial management, and direct trade models to ensure farmer price realization.
- Policy Advocacy (UNEA/National): Understanding and engaging with policies that support regenerative agriculture, resource efficiency, and youth employment in the coffee sector.
Module 5: Barista Mtaani: Advanced Restoration Brewing Skills
(Service Excellence with a Purpose)
5.1 Sustainable Café Operations - Energy Efficiency: Choosing eco-friendly equipment and reducing power consumption in the café.
- Responsible Sourcing: Integrating regenerative coffee, local/seasonal foods, and sustainable dairy/alt-milk options.
- Zero-Waste Bar: Implementing composting, single-use plastic alternatives, and re-usable systems for dine-in and takeaway.
5.2 Brewing & Storytelling for Impact - Advanced Barista Techniques: Mastering espresso, milk texturing, latte art, and manual brewing of single-origin regenerative coffees.
- The Restoration Narrative: Training Baristas to tell the story of the regenerative farm, the SL28/34 resilience, and the circular economy initiatives to the consumer, linking cup quality to planetary health.
- Customer Engagement & Advocacy: Turning the café into a hub for environmental education and community action.
Final Evaluation: G4T Certification Project - Practical Component: Students design, implement, and present a Regenerative Coffee Project (e.g., developing a cascara product, a zero-waste café plan, or a training module for an FCS on soil regeneration).
- Competency Assessment: Final practical exams in Barista Skills and an oral defense of the G4T principles applied to the project.
Would you like me to elaborate on any specific module, such as the practical techniques for Seed Saving or the details of the Valorization opportunities?