Kisumu: Kenya is positioning itself to become the first African country to certify its tea as low-carbon, a move set to double export earnings and boost incomes for over 700,000 smallholder farmers. The initiative, spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, is part of a broader strategy to align the country’s most lucrative cash crop with international climate accountability standards.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative is part of a USD 5 million pilot funded by China and Germany to assess and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the tea value chain. Dr. Barrack Okoba, FAO’s Project Manager for Resilient Livelihoods and Climate Change, emphasized the importance of targeting tea as one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners. ‘We are targeting tea because it’s one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners. The project aims to sustain production, protect the environment, and most importantly, improve incomes for smallholder farmers,’ said Dr. Okoba.
To ensure authenticity and traceability, the project will utilize blockchain technology to document and verify sustainable practices across the value chain. ‘This technology will allow a consumer in London or Pakistan to trace a pack of tea back to the farmer in Kisii or Nandi, and verify that the tea was grown using low-carbon practices,’ added Dr. Okoba.
The project is closely collaborating with KTDA, which manages 71 tea factories across 21 counties and represents nearly 700,000 smallholder farmers. Sudi Matara, KTDA Foundation General Manager, highlighted Kenya’s existing low-carbon practices due to minimal pesticide use and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural techniques. ‘Research shows that if we don’t act, productivity will dip by 20 percent due to climate change. We are already taking action through solarization, biomass briquette use, automation of factories, and off-grid power generation in 17 factories,’ he said.
Deputy Director Leonard Kubok from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Crop Resources Management Division emphasized the growing global demand for environmentally sustainable products. ‘This is a transformational shift toward sustainability and climate accountability. We are safeguarding the future of a value chain that supports over 7 million Kenyans directly and indirectly,’ Kubok noted.
Tea Board of Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Willy Mutai projected that if the low-carbon certification is successful, Kenya’s export revenues from the crop could rise to Sh440 billion within five to ten years. ‘Kenya is the world’s leading exporter of black tea, earning Sh215 billion annually from the commodity. With this certification, the farm gate, prices could rise from Sh 64 to Sh 90 per kilo. This will be a game-changer for smallholder farmers and could uplift entire rural economies,’ he stated.
Mutai further mentioned that the shift toward greener production has been underway for years, with Kenya leading in pesticide-free tea cultivation and renewable energy adoption. Factories in tea-rich counties like Nandi and Kisii have embraced solar and hydropower solutions, reducing dependency on fossil fuels.
The Kisumu conference attracted delegates from Rwanda, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and China, who shared lessons and explored scaling similar efforts in their respective countries. Mutai expressed hope that Kenya’s experience would serve as a regional benchmark, especially for tea-producing neighbors in East Africa. ‘This is more than just a certification; it is a legacy. We are setting up a blueprint not just for Kenya, but for Africa,’ he concluded.
