Developing an App for Kenya’s Smallholder Tea Farmers
Our innovation manager visits tea farmers in Kenya to develop helpful technology.... Continue Reading
Article
What's at Stake
We work across East Africa, where global warming has already begun to dramatically alter the lives of rural farming communities. Severe droughts and changing rainfall patterns are wreaking havoc on crop yields, threatening farmers' livelihoods, regional food security, and remaining biodiversity hotspots.
The Forests of East Africa
East Africa is not just a region of vast savannas—it also contains several tropical forests, including the eastern portion of the Congo rainforest. The region’s critical deforestation crisis is driven by population growth, unscrupulous timber extraction, and agricultural conversion—resulting in the loss of 9.3 percent of its forest cover from 2001 – 2009 alone.
Our Impact
We are working in vulnerable landscapes in East Africa to restore the balance between coffee and tea farming communities and the forests around them. Research shows that supporting the economic health of these communities is crucial to forest conservation.
Higher earnings with sustainable methods
50% more per KG
earned by workers on certified tea farms in Kenya*
In Kenya, workers on Rainforest Alliance Certified tea farms earned 50 percent more per kg plucked tea than workers on non-certified farms, according to a recent study of 250 farmers in Kenya. Read the report
*Source: 2013. Poverty impact of social and environmental voluntary standards systems in Kenyan tea. Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, London.
Shade coffee certification helps forests thrive
19.3% increase
in probability of forest conservation that is attributable to certification
Researchers used remote sensing data from 2005 and 2010 to compare deforestation rates on 240 coffee plots. The results showed that Rainforest Alliance certification increased the probability of forest conservation on coffee farms by 19.3 percent. Read the report
Our Work
We work with tea and coffee farmers across East Africa to advance sustainable agricultural practices across vulnerable landscapes and watersheds. Through training and certification, we help farmers protect the last standing tracts of forest from agricultural conversion and safeguard the health of streams and rivers.
Using Solar Power to Share Farmer Training Videos in Malawi
When filmmakers Sydelle Willow Smith and Rowan Pybus shot a documentary about a Zambian activist in 2012, they soon realized the activist’s own community had no way to view the film, since in much of southern Africa, movie theaters are few and far between, and tend to feature Hollywood blockbusters.
That’s why in 2013 the South African-based husband-and-wife team created Sunshine Cinema, an organization that builds solar-powered mobile cinemas, and trains youth activists to use these “sun...... Continue Reading
Kenyan Tea Farmers Switch to Renewable Energy
A new project will help 50,000 Kenyan tea farmers save money, cut emissions, and create healthier homes.... Continue Reading
All resources for East Africa
Project Profile: Clean Household Energy Solutions for Mount Kenya’s Coffee Farmers
We are partnering with local organizations and coffee farmers to set up Household Energy Centers (HECs)—community-based enterprises that will increase access to clean and affordable energy technologies.... Continue Reading
How Companies Can Share Responsibility in Paying Farm Workers a Living Wage
We’re committed to addressing living wage through our 2020 Certification Program, the ALIGN tool, and innovative projects like Better Pay in Practice. If your company is interested in directly contributing to achieving living wages in your supply chain, we are here to help.... Continue Reading
Using Solar Power to Share Farmer Training Videos in Malawi
When filmmakers Sydelle Willow Smith and Rowan Pybus shot a documentary about a Zambian activist in 2012, they soon realized the activist’s own community had no way to view the film, since in much of southern Africa, movie theaters are few and far between, and tend to feature Hollywood blockbusters.
That’s why in 2013 the South African-based husband-and-wife team created Sunshine Cinema, an organization that builds solar-powered mobile cinemas, and trains youth activists to use these “sun...... Continue Reading
Aggregate Effects on Ecosystem Services from Certification of Tea Farming in the Upper Tana River Basin, Kenya
The role of certification in achieving sustainability outcomes is not limited to the farm-level. However, it can be difficult to measure and map the aggregate impacts of certification since adoption often varies and landscapes are complex. This impacts study provides an interesting example of how the cumulative impacts of certification can be quantified at the […]
Meet A Renewable-Energy Convert in Kenya
We're helping Kenyans switch to renewable energy made from waste material.... Continue Reading
Kenyan Coffee Farmer Shows Sustainability and Prosperity Go Hand-In-Hand
This coffee farmer is an advocate for smallholder farmers, sustainability, and women.... Continue Reading