Kahawa Yetu-Our Coffee. A Need for Better Organizational Capacity in Kenya's Coffee Cooperatives. A case study of New Gatanga Cooperative Society, Kenya.

Date

2012-04-30

Authors

Steven, Gitu

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Guelph

Abstract

The advent of structural adjustment reforms in the early 1990s in the coffee sector saw the decline of government involvement in Kenya’s Coffee Cooperatives. The withdrawal of the state in the agricultural cooperative sector witnessed major coffee cooperatives struggle with the production of premium coffee. The production of coffee by cooperatives has greatly declined over the years, which has negatively affected the lives of thousands of small-scale farmers that belong to coffee cooperatives. A decline in cooperative coffee production has led to a decline in the number of coffee farmers witnessed attending cooperative meetings. This situation has further weakened the organizational capacity of the coffee cooperative as a key institution for small-scale coffee production. This thesis attempts to unearth those barriers that restrict cooperative members from attending meetings. A mixed methods approach is used to investigate participation levels at New Gatanga Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society. Understanding the fundamental issues behind the boycott by small-scale coffee producers in rural Kenya will provide a platform for constructing positive policies that will be used to improve the livelihoods of coffee cooperative members.

Description

An investigation of the New Gatanga Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society to understand the fundamental issues behind the boycott by small-scale coffee producers in rural Kenya in order to provide a platform for constructing positive policies that will be used to improve the livelihoods of coffee cooperative members.

Keywords

small scale, coffee cooperatives, coffee, Kenya

Citation