QOL COFFEE KENYA Kenyacof Kevote AB

The coffee beans are carefully hand-picked and then depulped.

The coffee is fermented in small fermentation tanks for 12-24 hours and then washed with clean water to remove residual pectin. All wastewater generated during the washing process is purified to minimize the impact on the environment.

The pectin is soaked in clean water for 12-14 hours and then transferred to raised beds to dry for 21-30 days. During the drying process, the pectin is turned regularly to ensure even drying.

Kenya’s dry-grinding facilities are insufficient to meet the needs of small and medium-sized coffee farmers, even for those with their own processing facilities. The smallest unit in a dry-grinding facility is the batch, which is usually about 50 parchment bags per batch. This unit is often difficult for smallholders to meet, and they must merge batches with other coffee farmers, losing traceability. This results in a decrease in overall income and a loss of transparency and potential direct trading relationships.

To meet the needs of small batch growers, our partner Kahawa Bora Millers has a separate micro-batch grinding line designed specifically to process small batches of coffee beans one bag at a time (removing the parchment from the green coffee beans). This line allows growers to maintain their own "brand" when selling their coffee.

Kenya is a relatively recent coffee grower, but the industry has earned and maintained a strong reputation. Since its inception, Kenyan coffee has been known for its high quality, careful preparation and exquisite flavor. Our sister company in Kenya, Sucafina Kenya, works with coffee farmers across the country to ensure these premium coffees receive the acclaim they deserve.

Currently, more than 600,000 smallholders, who cultivate less than five acres, make up 99% of Kenya’s total coffee farmers. Their farms account for more than 75% of the total coffee planting area and produce about 70% of the country’s coffee. These coffee farmers are organized into hundreds of farmer cooperatives (FCSs), each of which operates at least one factory. The rest of the annual production is grown and processed on small, medium and large coffee estates. Most large coffee estates have their own washing stations.

Most Kenyan coffee is thoroughly washed and dried in overhead washer-dryers. Kenya has numerous washing stations, ensuring the coffee is of high quality and attention to detail. The best factories use a rigorous sorting process when they receive the beans, and many of them have employed the same managers for years.