Kenya - Kiandu

Kiandu coffee factory was formed in 1970. Today the factory counts with 1,524 active members. On average, each farmer grows approximatively 200 coffee trees. Most of them cultivate other crops such as maize, beans, and sweet potato.
In line with the rising awareness on the need to conserve the environment, the factory has dug the waste water soak pits away from the water source where the waste water is allowed to soak in back to the soil. Additionally the society encourages its members to plant trees on their farms.
From funds set aside from the previous year’s harvest, members of the cooperative can access pre-financing for school fees, access to farm inputs and funds for emergency needs. The factory is receiving assistance from a field partner- Coffee Management Services (CMS). The long term goal is to increase coffee production through farmer training ( seminars, printed material on sustainable farming). By paying
the producers some of the highest returns for their coffee this objective becomes more possible.
Farmers in this region typically cultivate Jarc varieties on small plots of land around their house. The washing stations counts with 300 african beds. The washing station is paying more than the market price for a kilogram of red cherry, and those farmers that bring quality red cherry are paid a cash incentive, ensuring higher-than-average overall quality. Coffee is selectively hand-picked before being delivered to the mill collection points, usually within 5km of the producers’ homes. Great care is taken upon delivery to separate out any overripe, underripe or damaged beans before consolidating with other lots for the road to the wet mil.