A preliminary collaborative work between Equity Bank and French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD) on geographical indicators (GI) of coffee culminated in a high-level expert panel discussion at Alliance Française de Nairobi, titled “Kenya’s Highlands to the World Most Celebrated Cup: Unlocking Premium Value with Geographical Indicators”.
GI is an intellectual property sign used on products that possess a specific geographical origin, reputation, or unique qualities attributable to that origin. Laudably, the discussion of GI for coffee is a topical, timely and imperative policy issue.
Retrospectively, public protestation over low coffee prices triggered the coffee subsector reforms in 2016. Kenya has been on long circuitous journey of restructuring and transforming coffee subsector, which has culminated to the seminal Coffee Act 2026 recently assented by the president.
In addition, a coffee policy is embedded on Sessional Paper on Coffee 2024 awaiting formal adoption. The transformative agenda of coffee subsector was predicted on two facts: historical, institutional failure to recognise and protect farmers’ proprietary interest in coffee and Kenya as a coffee prices taker.
Consequently, Kenya took a paradigm shift by adopting a farmer-centric coffee reform agenda anchored on a cost reduction strategy. While the strategy is gaining traction with tangible benefits, its likely long-term impact is in doubt because of weak price transmission mechanism.
It is not sufficient to tell afarmer to increase production. Thus, the cost strategy must be pursued in tandem with an innovative marketing strategy targeted to coffee consumers. GI is a good candidate.
Admittedly, the incorporation of demand side in the calculus of coffee reforms agenda is rudimentary because of dearth of credible data.
The data on the vitality of Kenya coffee in the secondary market of value addition and consumption is jealously guarded by international roasters and their affiliates who have no obligation to disclose.
They continue to enjoy monopolistic dominance given that most of the value addition and consumption takes place outside the realm of Kenya’s legal jurisdiction.
To stir for instance the demand in the specialty coffee market we can employ GI as policy instrument to influence the preferences of coffee consumers by providing credible information of attributes of our coffee.
While there is no single comprehensive GI policy, Kenya has GI principles embedded in Trade Mark Act and drafted GI Bill that has been dormant since 2007.
In addition, in 2015 Kenya introduced a certification of origin mark “coffee Kenya so rich so Kenyan” aimed at promoting consumer loyalty in the importing countries. The certification has not been effectively operative and lacked legal penetration due to, among others, institutional failures.
The new Coffee Act 2026 has created opportunities to rekindle GI by reinstituting Coffee Board of Kenya and assigning it GI-related functions.
Specifically, to facilitate market access and inform promotional and branding strategies including the application of Kenya Coffee Mark of Origin.
More important, the current GI discourse can be incorporated in the draft coffee policy and itemised agenda of the development of the subsidiary legislation of the Act.
GI in coffee is about jealously protecting the right of our God given geographical location that continuously produces high quality coffee to unlock premium value. This must be done.
The writer is a public policy analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra).
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