Global agri-advocacy firm, Rainforest Alliance plans to train over 50,000 small-scale farmers in tea-growing areas of Kirinyaga and Embu counties.
Through a six-month training programme under the Mount Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods (MUSULLI) project, the initiative aims to equip smallholder farmers with skills in agribusiness, diversification, human rights, and environmental conservation.
Speaking at Ndima Tea Factory in Kirinyaga recently, Rainforest Alliance Country Director Marion Ng’ang’a said the programme, themed “Pesa Mfukoni”, is designed to reduce overreliance on tea and coffee as the sole source of income for families.
“Our goal is to help farmers diversify their income sources, embrace agribusiness management, and conserve the fragile ecosystem that sustains agriculture,” Ng’ang’a said. She revealed that more than 20,000 farmers have already been trained in partnership with eight tea factories across the two counties, with the project fostering self-reliance among farming households.
She emphasised that one in five Africans still go without food, urging smallholder farmers—particularly women and youth—to adopt sustainable systems to reduce poverty.
Ng’ang’a also warned that without deliberate efforts in environmental conservation, tea and coffee production risk losing both quality and yield due to climate change and shrinking farmland.
She noted that in factories where training has been conducted, over 70 per cent of participants were women and youth, underscoring the importance of empowering these groups.
MUSULLI Project Officer Allan Kinuthia announced that each tea factory will receive a revolving fund of Sh 1 million to support farmer-led projects. He noted that many factories have opted for ventures such as avocado farming, beekeeping, and small-scale tea packaging enterprises.
“These interventions will not only create alternative income streams but also help farmers improve the quality of their tea while building resilience against changing weather patterns,” Kinuthia said.
Thumaita Tea Factory has embraced beekeeping, Kathangarii Factory in Embu invested in tea packaging machines, while Ndima is venturing into Hass avocado farming. Kinuthia revealed that Ndima has already secured 28,000 Hass avocado seedlings, which will be distributed to farmers. He said the quality seedlings are well-suited to the local environment, adding that the avocado industry’s rapid growth presents farmers with reliable market opportunities. Ndima Tea Factory Vice Chairman Muchiri Wachira said the project would help smallholder farmers cut production costs by adopting bio-chemicals and modern farming methods. Smallholder farmer Lilian Nyawira from Ndima said the training had enabled her to diversify her farming activities, providing her with extra income.
“We were taught how to save, invest, and diversify. This gives me financial security even when tea prices fall,” she said. Ng’ang’a said the project aims to empower future generations of skilled farmers and urged families to embrace unity to strengthen household development and fight poverty.
