Kagumo AA, Kenya | FILTER

With nearly 700,000 coffee producers, roughly 70% of which are smallholder producers, Kenya shines as a unique coffee-producing country in East Africa. Within the Kirinyaga County along the slopes of Mt. Kenya is the Kagumo Factory, or wet mill. 1,561 smallholders in this region contribute coffee cherries to this mill and belong to the Mutira Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS).

Situated at 1,550 meters above sea level, this region is defined by its bright red soils, full of rich nutrients for coffee trees. The high altitude allows for ideal temperatures and rainfall for the slow maturation of coffee cherries. Smallholders in this region grow coffee on small plots of land and pick the cherries during harvest to deliver to the mill.

Once the cherries reach the mill, the coffee is washed with local river water. After the cherries are pulped, the coffee is placed in large tanks to soak in water and ferment. This allows for the breakdown of the exterior mucilage, normally lasting overnight. The coffee is then rushed through channels and cleaned one final time before being spread evenly on raised tables to dry in the open sun until a targeted moisture content is reached.

Producers and the Factory collectively value sustainability, and various projects have been enacted to reduce environmental impact. Wastewater used for processing is carefully placed into soak pits to seep back into the soil without polluting the local drinking source. Macadamia trees and the local Grevillea trees are planted to provide the coffee with necessary shade.