KTDA Foundation general manager Sudi Matara and Barrack Okoba, FAO’s project manager for Resilient Livelihoods and Climate, during an international workshop on the feasibility of low-carbon tea certification held in Kisumu /FAITH MATETE
Kenya is eyeing a major boost in export earnings, with a plan to double its annual tea revenue from Sh215 billion to Sh430 billion within five to ten years.
This will see Kenya become the first African country to produce low-carbon tea, boosting the income of over 700,000 farmers.
The move is driven by a $5 million pilot initiative under the Global Low Carbon Tea – Triangular Cooperation in Tea Value Chain in Kenya (GLI-TEA Kenya) project (2022–2026).
Funded by China and Germany through the Food and Agriculture Organization, the programme aims to align the tea industry with international climate accountability standards.
During a workshop on the feasibility of low-carbon tea certification held in Kisumu, FAO project manager for Resilient Livelihoods and Climate Change, Barrack Okoba, said the project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the tea value chain from planting to packaging.
“We are targeting tea because it’s one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners. The goal is to sustain production, protect the environment and most importantly, improve incomes for farmers,” he said.
To ensure credibility and traceability, the project will use blockchain technology. This, he said, would allow consumers anywhere in the world to trace their tea to its origin in Kenya and confirm it was grown using low-carbon methods.
“We are also in talks with certifying bodies like Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade to open up premium markets that reward sustainable production,” Okoba added.
Tea Board of Kenya CEO, Willy Mutai, noted that the low-carbon certification process, which is ongoing, will increase farm gate prices from Sh64 to Sh90 per kilogramme, a game-changer for smallholder farmers and rural economies.
“The GLI-TEA Kenya project promotes innovative, climate-smart practices including drought-tolerant tea cultivars, agroforestry integration, efficient soil management and renewable energy use in factories,” he said.
Factories in tea-rich counties such as Nandi and Kisii have already adopted solar and hydropower to cut fossil fuel reliance.
PS for Agriculture, Kipronoh Ronoh, said the low-carbon tea initiative supports Kenya’s broader climate strategies, including the Climate Change Act, National Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy and the National Tea Industry Policy.
“Transitioning to a low-carbon tea sector is an urgent necessity if we are to safeguard livelihoods and stay competitive globally,” he said.
In a speech read on his behalf by Mutai, the PS said the project also prioritises gender inclusion, recognising the critical yet often overlooked role women play in the tea sector.
FAO plans to embed gender-sensitive tools across the programme.
“With over 300,000 acres under tea, gender inclusion isn’t just social, it's strategic,” Ronoh said.
KTDA Foundation general manager, Sudi Matara, said Kenya was already ahead of other nations – producing without pesticides and with significant adoption of climate-resilient techniques such as solarisation and biomass briquettes.
Research shows that productivity was set to drop by 20 per cent due to climate change, adding that the time for sustainable action is now.
Matara said the project was being piloted in 71 KTDA-managed factories across 21 counties and if successful, will be scaled nationally.
