Centering Women and Youth in Kenya’s Coffee Future

Building an inclusive and sustainable coffee value chain starts with recognizing who makes that future possible. In Kenya, that means women and youth.

Recently, members of IWCA Kenya (AWICI) joined coffee sector leaders at the Journey to Inclusive and Sustainable Kenyan Coffee forum, organized by UNIDO and FAO. The gathering created space for honest dialogue about what it truly takes to strengthen Kenya’s coffee sector in ways that are equitable, resilient, and rooted in community.

Throughout the forum, participants explored how inclusive collaboration can drive lasting impact across the value chain. Conversations focused on community-led approaches, shared responsibility, and the importance of integrating women and young people not as an afterthought, but as central actors shaping the future of coffee.

AWICI’s participation reflected the chapter’s ongoing commitment to ensuring women’s voices are present in national conversations about sustainability and development. Their engagement underscored a core IWCA belief: when women and youth are meaningfully included, coffee communities are stronger, more innovative, and better positioned to thrive long term.

We are proud of IWCA Kenya for continuing to show up, contribute, and lead in spaces that influence the direction of the industry. These moments matter. They move ideas into action and help build a coffee sector that works for the people who sustain it every day.