“Baptism by Fire”: Kenya’s First Ever Organic Certified Coffee In Kericho County

Celebrating Ecocert organic certification:  Pius (far left) with his wife; Erika; Rose from Ecocert; Jack with his wife (far right); photo courtesy of Erika Koss, Nairobi, Kenya, March 2025.

By Dr. Erika Koss

December 15, 2025

As the first quarter of the twenty-first century comes to an end, it’s easy to consider only the monumental hardships we’ve all lived through. In the coffee industry, sustainability remains a key goal, but on the surface, some days, it can feel like the planting of coffee sustainability will never bear ripe fruit.

However, from seed to cup, if we take some time to look closer, hundreds of examples exist of creative partnerships that are making great impact.

Here’s one from 2025:  Kenya’s first-ever organic certified coffee in Kericho County.  

That this coffee exists at all is a testament to the devotion of farmers who were willing to experiment with something new.  It’s a testament to partnership and funding support between several organizations throughout Africa and Europe.  

Most of all, it’s a testament to perseverance from the pioneering Kenyan farmers, Mr. Pius Mutay (director of Humkel Produce) and Mr. Jack Melly (director of Kiqwetu Coffee), both in the gorgeous rural county of Kericho, western Kenya.

Solidaridad and ACR also worked with the Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation’s Coffee Research Institute (CRI) and Kenya’s county governments of Kericho, Nandi, and Bungoma in facilitating a successful transition from the conventional production system in western Kenya.

The project was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (DANIDA) as the demand for organic coffee is particularly strong in Denmark, where approximately 50% of all coffee consumed is organic certified.

The entire project is a stellar example of partnerships where governments, research institutions, businesses, and NGOs combine their expertise to increase market access and the resilience of coffee farmers.

A Visit To Kericho

But before all that, Pius and Jack had invited me to visit their coffee estates so I could see their organic process first hand. I witnessed the impressive labour of their hands, their teams, and the pioneering partnership that is transforming Kericho. Once known as the sugar belt, this region may become Kenya’s new coffee belt for the next generation. 

Humkel Produce, led by Pius Mutay

Humkel Produce Limited, owned by Pius Mutay, has been a key leader in transforming Kericho County's organic coffee farming landscape.  

He was among the pioneer organic farmers, but without support after years of effort, there were several times he wondered if he should keep fighting for a dream. At the public event in Nairobi, he reflected on his long organic journey, naming it as a “baptism by fire”: “One thing about coffee, you must be humble and patient and passionate. You cannot do organic farming if you’re not passionate, because it is not a journey for the weak.” 

For many small-holder farmers in Kenya, the mandatory three-year conversion from non-organic to organic farming can be unbearably long. To be certified, organic farming practices must be fully adopted for three consecutive years. Practices include avoiding all synthetic chemicals and other banned substances, as well as requiring a change of several production methods. 

But working with Jack and other partners renewed his determination to continue to emphasize the importance of sustainable practices and uplift the communities around his farms.  His efforts have now paid off: “Now we are using regenerative forms of agriculture. I remember when Betty Musembi (Senior Project Manager at Solidaridad ECA) and her group came to our farm to train. On the first day, they brought us three buckets of red worms. From just those three buckets, we now generate almost 250 liters of worm tea every 10 days.”  Healthy worms can produce “worm tea,” a strategy for organic coffee and pest management, helping fight la roya (coffee leaf rust) without pesticides. 

Humkel Coffee farm includes several steep hills with intercropped and indigenous tress. As we walked through his farm, Pius showed me the benefits of several organic practices such as mulching. He reflected on its importance not only in weed control, but also how it leads to natural decomposing and the creation of healthy manure.  “Mulching helps to retains moisture in the soil. Before the mulching, the hot season, the trees were stressed,” he remembered.

Kiqwetu Coffee Estate, led by Jack Melly

Visiting Kiqwetu now as a thriving 25-acre organic coffee farm, it’s difficult to believe that only five years ago, it was a depleted and neglected site, with infertile land that seemed to hold no possibility.

But Jack Melly saw things differently and was prepared to act on it. He had a vision that this land could become a new ecosystem for coffee – one that could enhance sustainability in Kericho through environmental regeneration, employing men and women throughout their local community, and contributing to Kenya’s economy.

The organic farm boasts more than 14,639 coffee trees of Ruiru 11, Batian, and Blue Mountain variety, with more to come. The once-barren land now attracts birds, pollinators, and clean air.  

The impact of this transformation extends far beyond the farm. As Jack has said, “At Kiqwetu, we're not just growing coffee, we're nurturing the earth, building resilience, and sowing the seeds of a more sustainable future for all.”

Social Sustainability On Coffee Farms

This organic coffee isn’t only improving the environmental conditions of Kenyan farms. Pius and Jack are leaders in their community, now employing hundreds of full-time and part-time men and women.

As we walked through his farm, Pius told me about some of the gendered complexities of his rural area.  “If men were doing even 30% of the work that women are doing, this country would be better,” he told me. “The women are working so hard, but some men are often idle.”  Women might be working all morning on his farm picking or sorting cherries but are still expected by their husbands – some who will not seek employment – to go home and make them lunch. In some cases, wives will be forbidden to return to work by their husbands. 

To address some of these ongoing cultural issues, Jack and his wife have a plan to work with households so that women can begin to own some of their own trees and therefore earn some of their own cash.

In addition to the ongoing challenges on gender, there are serious challenges for “youth” – defined in Kenya as those aged 18 through 35.  

The diligence and perseverance of many people made this coffee possible over many years of work. One key person from the beginning was Stephen Vick – then the Head of Procurement, Quality Control and Product Development at African Coffee Roasters. He and I often talked about the challenge of young and old farmers in Kenya.  As he explained to me at the beginning of the project, he was excited about the potential for quality improvements, the increased awareness of improving post-harvest processing, and improved cupping scores as the years of the project continued.

But we often found ourselves discussing the age dynamics of farmers in Kenya.  “So many farmers in Kericho county are around 40 years of age, compared to the average age of 60+ in more traditional areas of Kenya, such as Nyeri and the Mount Kenya region, which is often better known by the best specialty coffee buyers and roasters,” Stephen mused.  This is partly why organic coffee has the potential to make an even greater impact in Western Kenya, since these more rural areas are farther away from Nairobi with “youth” having fewer opportunities to access coffee markets and income generating activities.

Tasting Organic Certified Kenyan Coffee

I’m lucky to live in Nairobi: so far, I’ve tasted this exquisite specialty Kenyan coffee several times at cuppings and brewed at my home. 

Coffee Annan in Germany was one of the first roasters to buy, roast, and package this unique coffee: 

If you’re in Kenya, look for the “Kikaboni” coffee, which is a blend of Humkel and Kiqwetu estate beans, roasted in Nairobi at Spring Valley Coffee. If you’re on Lamu Island, there’s a good chance Bahari Coffee, owned by Stephen Vick, might have Kikaboni beans in stock.

As volumes grow at Humkel and Kiqwetu, these beans are set to travel throughout the world. Let us know if you’re lucky enough to find them and share your tasting notes!

Want to learn more?

Watch this short video about Humkel Produce and the importance of their worms for making coffee organic.

Watch the video featuring Jack Melly about Kiqwetu Coffee Estate, once an abandoned quarry in Kericho, Kenya.

To learn more about TRACE KENYA and the worms, read Erika Koss’s article from Standart Magazine Issue 33.

About the writer:

Erika Koss, PhD, is a writer, educator, and researcher who views coffee through the lens of two life-long passions: literature and human rights. She is an Authorized Specialty Coffee Trainer and a co-creator of SCA’s Coffee Sustainability curriculum. Her  PhD from Saint Mary’s University in Canada focused on coffee's gendered gaps in Kenya; her "Gender and Coffee" course addresses this  global issue. As the founder of “A World in Your Cup Consulting,” she seeks to advance sustainability, gender equity, and decolonization of the beverage crops through education and research. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Erika lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with her younger son.  

Find Dr. Erika on IG: @AWorldinYourCup or subscribe to her free Substack newsletter:  ErikaKoss.Substack.com