AFA licenses 152 coffee dealers as Kenya moves to meet EU rules

KENYA – Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has licensed 152 coffee dealers for the 2023/2024 financial year and started preparations to secure access to the European Union market.

The Agriculture and Food Authority announced that the licensed dealers fall under three categories: coffee buyers, millers and exporters.

“Only single companies or groups of companies with legal rights to coffee are licensed. No individual or company without a licence is allowed to deal in coffee,” said Dr. Bruno Linyiru, the Director General of AFA.

He urged the public to confirm the legitimacy of coffee dealers before making any business agreements. The complete list of licensed firms is available on the AFA website.

The announcement came as Kenya’s coffee industry began preparing for compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The regulation requires exporters to prove that their coffee supply chains are free from deforestation after December 2020 and that each shipment meets the legal standards of the producing country.

The Agriculture and Food Authority’s Coffee Directorate this week launched a nationwide geo-mapping and data collection drive across all 33 coffee-growing counties. Officials held a two-day sensitization workshop to prepare the multi-agency team guiding the exercise.

According to the Directorate, the workshop trained the EUDR Data Collection Team on how to guide county enumerators, report progress, and observe the Data Protection Act. It also clarified the duties of each officer in the field.

“The European Union currently takes 55 percent of our coffee exports, which supports over 800,000 households directly. We must ensure Kenya remains compliant and competitive in that market,” the Coffee Directorate said in a statement.

The government has pledged to fully finance the geo-mapping exercise to ensure farmers do not carry the cost. “Farmers will not pay anything for this data collection. The process is fully funded to ensure no farmer is left out,” the statement added.

Analysts say the mapping will provide the country with reliable data to strengthen its bargaining position in the global coffee trade. At the same time, farmers and exporters expect the licensing and monitoring process to improve transparency in the sector.

With both the licensing of dealers and the start of the geo-mapping program, Kenya’s coffee industry has signaled its determination to meet international standards while protecting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

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