ORIGIN

Despite sharing a border with the ‘birthplace of coffee,’ Ethiopia, Kenya is a celebrated coffee producing country with a characteristic cup profile of its own – and was one of the last African countries to be introduced to coffee. The first coffee plants were brought to Kenya by Scottish and French missionaries during the 19th century. In the 1930s, Scotch Labs selected strains from Mocha, in Yemen, to develop the famous SL28 and SL 34 cultivars that are characteristic of the exceptional coffees that this beautiful country has to offer. these two varieties are celebrated for their exceptional cup quality, bright acidity, and complex flavours.

They are also remarkably drought-tolerant, capable of surviving extended dry periods while still producing good yields. However, despite their many strengths, both SL28 and SL34 are highly susceptible to major diseases, particularly coffee leaf rust and coffee berry disease. In recent years, climate change has severely affected Kenya’s traditional cultivars. Changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures have led to increased disease pressure and lower harvests. To address these challenges, the Kenya Coffee Research Foundation in…