Innovation Month – ECOM East Africa, Catherine Nganga

Bean to Brilliance: Next-Gen Coffee Processing in Kenya

Innovation is the second of our ECOM Group values we explore in our series of Value focus months. In this article, Catherine Nganga, Sustainability Manager for East Africa, highlights how one of ECOM’s subsidiaries in Kenya, Coffee Management Services Ltd (CMS), is redefining coffee processing in Kenya, delivering a more valuable and profitable environment for their farmer suppliers, whilst protecting nature all at the same time. 

The challenges of traditional coffee processing in Kenya 

Kenya is renowned for producing some of the best coffee beans in the world, which are full of bright acidity, whole body, and rich flavours. However, the coffee industry faces numerous challenges in the processing methods, occasionally resulting in negative effects which can even influence the coffee quality. 

98% of Kenya’s coffee producers still rely on the old disc pulping method, a decades-old practice that is inefficient and environmentally unsustainable. This traditional system consumes excessive amounts of water and often damages the beans– a process referred to as "nibbing" –ultimately compromising the quality and value of the coffee. With reduced forest cover around the major water towers in Kenya, water availability can be scarce. Wastewater is often used where fresh water sources are not available. The inefficient use of water– and elimination of wastewater in coffee production– is thus critical for biodiversity, the overall ecosystem and of course rural communities at large.  

Additionally, another challenge for producers is the long drying period. Once the processing is done, farmers in Kenya will wait for up to 21 days for the coffee to dry, so they can proceed to secondary processing. This prolongs the time to market, affecting the prices producers receive. Since coffee in Kenya is traditionally dried on sun-raised wooden beds, this method has negatively contributed towards cutting down trees. 

Finally, coffee production is hugely labour-intensive, particularly in the post-harvest period. Thus, any efficiencies within the production chain means less labour, lower processing costs, and ultimately more money in farmers' pockets. 

Innovative solutions 

In a trailblazing initiative focused on sustainability, innovation, and farmer empowerment, CMS has collaborated with 13 coffee cooperatives to install 13 ecological pulping machines, the first of their kind in Kenya. Every pulper and solar dryer CMS installed brings efficiency, sustainability, and higher earnings to coffee communities. They also use very little water. Catherine highlights, “This has gone a long way in reducing the cost of processing and also improved the quality of the product, by reducing the risk of overfermentation, etc.” 

CMS has taken innovation a step further to address the drying bottleneck and the need to frequently turn the coffee. By introducing another new solution– the installation of 6 solar dryers– drying time has been significantly shortened and labour hours reduced. Additionally, CMS has promoted the use of metallic drying tables that do not require timber. This transition is a win for both the environment and product quality, as the metallic structures are more durable and maintain better airflow, crucial for uniform drying

Innovation impact 

ECOM Kenya Coffee processing is a key example of how innovation at ECOM allows us to constantly improve our ways of working. CMS has marked a new era for Kenyan Coffee by collaborating with supplier partners to implement a state-of-the-art processing line that is fully powered by solar; this is a unique innovation and the only one of its kind in Kenya. It has reduced overreliance on electricity and dramatically lowered production costs.  

“For me, innovation means making coffee processing smarter, greener, and fairer for every farmer.” – Catherine Nganga 

Take a closer look at the innovations behind the Kiandu Project in our CMS Launch Video here!