Introduction
The Kenyan coffee industry generates approximately $ 49.5 million, as per the Statista 2023 report. According to forecasts, the market is expected to grow at a rate of 11.89% annually (Statista, 2023). The coffee industry of Kenya is a key backbone of the country’s economy; however, this is currently grappling due to the increase in outbreaks of coffee berry diseases. The main cause of the outbreaks is primarily the environmental factors that have changed in the country due to climate change, which, as a result, has led to profound disruptions in the coffee industry (Kath et al., 2020). This has disrupted the competitiveness of Kenyan coffee in the international markets; hence, immediate action should be taken to salvage the backbone of the economy industry from falling out. The main threat to coffee production in Kenya is the coffee berry disease, which changes the coffee plants’ yield and health, especially at critical development phases of the coffee. This is because the coffee berry disease affects the thriving of the coffee plants, hence inconveniencing productivity. However, due to the uncertainty and complexity in predicting outbreaks of diseases, developing new disease-resistant coffee breeds is the most suitable solution for this threat. It can be achieved through increased farmer training, research, and development to understand the disease, various coffee breeds, and control mechanisms.
Threat: The coffee Berry disease in Kenya
Explanation of the threat
The main threat affecting coffee production in Kenya is the outbreak of coffee berry disease. This fungal disease affects coffee quality and productivity levels in the country.
Causes, effects, and severity of coffee production in Kenya
The coffee berry disease is caused by a fungus called collectotrichum kahawae (Giddisa, 2016). This fungus infects the coffee plants by forming spores, resulting in the formation of characteristic lesions. The coffee berry diseases are supported by moderate temperatures and high levels of humidity, which provide the desired conditions for the growth and spread of the disease. In Kenya, the coffee growing system is a smallholder system as it involves small-scale farmers who cultivate relatively small coffee plantations; therefore, the disease is likely to spread quickly. According to Solidaridad (2022), in Kenya, 75% of the land set for growing coffee is controlled by small-scale farmers, and it contributes approximately 70% of clean coffee production nationally. The susceptibility levels of coffee berry disease in Kenya vary based on coffee varieties, as some varieties are prone to infections while others are more resistant. The coffee berry disease results in reduced quality due to its manifestation, which changes the color of the coffee berries as they mature. Also, the coffee berry diseases affect the productivity levels due to impacts such as the prematurity of the coffee berries (Alworah & Gichuru, 2014). The persistence of the diseases affects the conditions necessary for the growth of coffee plants in Kenya. Due to the coffee berry disease, Kenyan farmers experience a decrease in the quantity they can offer to the market for domestic use and exportation. The coffee berry disease epidemic affected 80% of growing coffee berries, reducing the country’s exports (Gimase et al., 2019). Broadly, the epidemic of CBD has negatively impacted the Kenyan economy since more than 700,000 households are supported by coffee (Gimase et al., 2019). Therefore, there is a need to develop management strategies to assist in curbing the negative effects of the disease on coffee production in Kenya.
Emergence of coffee berry disease in Kenya
In Kenya, the coffee berry disease was recognized in the 20th century, with an outbreak occurring in Mt. Elgon before spreading to other regions, such as Rift Valley (Gimase et al., 2019). During this time, the affected coffee plants experienced premature drop. This reduced the yield and the quality of the coffee berries. When the disease was first identified, various chemical control mechanisms were adopted to prevent the disease. The coffee sector is a sub-part of the overall agricultural sector, and it contributes approximately 23 billion yearly in foreign earnings exchange and contributes to the economy through employment; therefore, the outbreak risks the economy of Kenya (International Coffee Council, 2019). However, the methods were ineffective and instead increased the environmental impacts of the chemical methods. Researchers in Kenya perceive the threat as detrimental to coffee growing; thus, they strive to develop coffee varieties that can resist the disease (Alworah & Gichuru, 2014). They plan to achieve this by breeding and choosing coffee types that highly resist fungus-causing coffee berry diseases. Also, Kenya has implemented cultural practices such as properly spacing coffee plants (Gimase et al., 2019). These cultural practices are insufficient in preventing widespread outbreaks. Although Kenya has put efforts to curb the spread of the coffee berry disease, it has shown capabilities of evolving, insinuating that the pathogen has a dynamic nature. Lack of genetic diversity makes it easier for coffee berry disease to spread quickly through susceptible plants.
Solution: Disease Resilient Coffee Varieties
To mitigate the threat of coffee berry diseases in Kenya, the most promising solution is adopting disease-resilient coffee types with farmer training (genetic diversity) (Alworah & Gichuru 2014). This will address the threat by increasing the coffee’s natural resilience to coffee berry diseases and promoting the use of genetically diverse coffee types in the naturally resilient sector through increased awareness and knowledge achieved through training coffee farmers. As a result, the capability of the sector to withstand and adapt to the prevalent coffee diseases will strengthen, hence reducing the sector’s vulnerability to the outbreak of coffee diseases.
Kenya is renowned for its Arabica Coffee, whose quality has been high, making it competitive even in the international markets. However, the production of Arabica coffee has decreased as it has low resilience towards coffee berry diseases as it is sensitive to the required conditions to ensure its optimal growth; hence, diseases have become a barrier to the growth of Arabica, making the sector even more vulnerable due to resistance breakdown. According to Alworah et al. (2023), genetically diversified coffee exhibits the traits of thriving under a range of adverse conditions, including prevalent coffee diseases, as it has more stamina in thriving under harsh conditions. Robusta is more resilient because it has a higher genetic resistance than Arabica, as it has a more natural resistance to diseases and pests that affect Arabica. According to Kath et al. (2020), Robusta, for instance, is more resistant to coffee berry diseases than Arabica crops, which are significantly affected by the disease. Also, the caffeine content in Robusta is high, which acts as a natural pesticide, repulsing diseases and pests more.
Additionally, the growing conditions for Robusta, which are lower altitudes and warmer climates, discourage the spread of coffee diseases, increasing coffee production’s resilience. Malhi et al. (2021) state that making coffee production stable and sustainable despite the prevalent spread of diseases and pests in the country can be achieved by cultivating Robusta coffee alongside Arabica. The reason is that Robusta has more ability to thrive under harsh conditions when compared to Arabica because, unlike Arabica, Robusta has a much more resilient genetic composition that repels pests and diseases compared to Arabica, which is more vulnerable. In addition, other disease-resistant varieties, such as Ruiru 11 and Batian, are more genetically accurate in repelling off diseases compared to Robusta, which is the reason behind the creation of the coffee types. As a result, these species allow farmers to maintain a good yield despite sometimes being affected by the coffee berry disease that occurs in certain instances (Coffee Research Institute, 2023). Therefore, the use of disease-resistant coffee types is a promising solution against fighting the coffee berry disease as they are resilient and hardly affected by diseases, hence reducing the vulnerability of the coffee industry to CBD.
Introduction of professional farmer training
The introduction of professional farmer training will increase Kenya’s coffee resilience as it will increase the awareness of coffee berry diseases in Kenya. The reason is that training will assist with early disease detection as they will be equipped to identify early signs of the diseases in the coffee berries. As a result, they will be in a better position to detect and respond to any signs of infections at the early stages, hence taking mitigation strategies to prevent them from spreading further in the plantation (Luusaa et al., 2018). The second training will give farmers the know-how to adopt the best practices for preventing the spread of diseases in coffee plantations, such as the use of diseases-resistant types of coffee. Third, training will equip farmers with knowledge on diversity farming. Karuri (2020) states that training will encourage coffee growers to adopt diverse farming practices. For instance, it will encourage them to grow complementary crops that are more resilient to coffee diseases, hence reducing the prevalence of the outbreak and proliferating diseases better. Bramel et al. (2017) state that professional training will assist with the outbreak of coffee berry diseases as the programs can insist on the significance of being informed on the latest research on prevalent and new diseases. Belyi (2017) supports this, stating that the knowledge from training will assist farmers in adopting new technologies and strategies to combat outbreaks in their plantations. Luusaa et al. (2018) further support the importance of training farmers. It will foster collaboration and networking with farmers, researchers, and other key stakeholders in the sector, hence coming up with collective strategies to deal with prevalent disease outbreaks.
Kenya’s Action Plan
The Kenyan Coffee Research Institute, to mitigate the outbreak of coffee berry diseases, created various strategies, such as the development of resistant coffee types such as the Batian and Ruiru 11, as they have a more resilient genetic composition (Gichuru et al., 2021). The institute is achieving this through continuous research on developing the ultimate coffee variety, especially on Coffee Berry Disease, but it is also creating varieties to resist coffee leaf rust. Also, the institute specializes in the development of resistant coffee types per region, as the vulnerabilities of infection vary from region to region (Mugo et al., 2012).
Conclusion
In conclusion, coffee berry disease challenges the coffee production sector in Kenya. This threat affects the coffee growing by affecting coffee’s health, quality, and quantity. This has disrupted coffee productivity and exportation; therefore, there is a need to urgently address the threat. One of the most suitable proactive and strategic approaches to address this threat is the development of disease-resilient coffee breeds. This will align with sustainable agricultural practices and assist in achieving long-term resilience. These breeds can be designed to resist the disease and survive for long-term. It can be achieved as a holistic strategy by integrating resilient varieties using farmer education and effective agronomic practices.
References
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