The Open Standard: How Kenya Coffee School Is Redefining Global Coffee Education
A new paradigm is emerging from the heart of coffee’s birthplace. Kenya Coffee School, founded by visionary Alfred Gitau Mwaura, is not adapting to the global coffee conversation—it is leading it. Through the Open International Coffee Standard (OICS), the school champions a model where education moves, heritage is preserved, and farmers write the future.
Beyond Certification: A Living Ecosystem
OICS represents more than a curriculum—it’s a philosophy in action. Built on the Farm to Cup continuum, the model ensures every stage of the coffee journey is respected, understood, and valued. This is not just traceability; it’s transparency with purpose.
Education That Moves
At its core are two revolutionary approaches:
· Open Skills Education (OSE) – Democratizing specialty coffee knowledge through practical, accessible, and industry-integrated training.
· Barista Mtaani – Literally “Barista of the Streets.” Instead of waiting for students to come to a classroom, KCS brings the classroom to communities, farms, and aspiring baristas where they live and work.
A Movement, Not Just a School
The Farmers First Movement anchors everything. It insists that the guardians of coffee’s past must also be the architects of its future. This means equitable value distribution, cultural preservation, and positioning farmers as key decision-makers in the global value chain.
The Core Belief
Kenya Coffee School operates on a foundational truth: You cannot build the sustainable future of coffee without honouring and empowering its past. This translates into everyday principles:
· People before profit
· Planet before convenience
· Skills before speculation
Why This Matters Now
As the global coffee industry faces climate, economic, and ethical crossroads, OICS offers a replicable, origin-led framework. It proves that excellence and equity are not mutually exclusive—that the highest quality coffee can and should also create the fairest livelihoods.
Kenya Coffee School
The Open International Coffee Standard (OICS).
Origin-led. Future-ready.