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Mountain Partnership

Mountain Products

About Mountain Products

Mountains store a wealth of biological diversity – food crops, medicinal plants, and animal species – found nowhere else. Yet, despite these rich resources, mountain people are amongst the poorest and hungriest in the world. Transforming unique mountain resources into quality products can make a real difference to the well-being, lives and livelihoods of mountain people.

Types of mountain products

Mountain products: challenges and opportunities

Mountains store a wealth of products — food crops, medicinal plants, and animal species — found nowhere else. Yet, despite these rich resources, mountain people are amongst the poorest and hungriest in the world. Why? What prevents mountain people reaping the benefits of mountain products?

An uphill struggle

Ecuador R. Faidutti /FAO/000820 Mountain people face a variety of constraints that prevent them improving mountain products, producing them more efficiently and sustainably, and selling them for a fair price. Mountain products are often undervalued or they benefit outsiders who know how to profit from them.

Mountain communities are prevented from developing mountain products for a variety of reasons, from a lack access to new agricultural technologies, to inadequate infrastructure, poor communications, high transport costs, weak local product protection and insufficient marketing skills. small mountain-based producers also tend to have only tenuous or expensive access to wider markets. Yet, in the context of market liberalization, mountain people find themselves forced to compete — even for a share of the domestic market — with large estates and with farmers in countries that subsidize production.

It is a sobering fact that few mountain communities are politically represented in national governments. So it is not easy for mountain people to effect significant change. Mountain people have little influence over the policies and decisions that influence their incomes, environments and lives. Making mountain voices heard is a formidable feat when highland communities are isolated both from each other and from centers of power. As a result, many mountain people live on the economic fringe, with no power to make major improvements to their mountain product enterprises in particular or quality of life as a whole.

Hope on the horizon

Mountains provide us with a range of products — foods and beverages, medicines, cosmetics, textiles and crafts — and a host of services.

It is by tapping the traditional knowledge, skills and expertise of mountain people that we can transform mountain products into high quality products that can make a real difference to the well-being, lives and livelihoods of mountain people themselves.
Marketing is key to achieving this goal. Enterprises can claim an advantage on the market by emphasizing their strengths, selling high-value mountain products by stressing quality or uniqueness over quantity. For instance, coffee producers may identify their beans as “shade grown” or as coming from a cooperative of particular interest. There are also a variety of certifications that can ensure mountain products fetch premium prices and have an ‘edge' or comparative advantage on the market. One such certification is the European Union certification, PDO (protected designation of origin), which identifies a product as being produced in a specific geographical area using recognized traditional methods. Organic certification is also of great benefit to producers. Better for health and the environment, organic products are in demand and consumers are willing to pay more for them. Furthermore, organic certification promotes long-term ecological sustainability.

Another potential opportunity for mountain product development is fair trade. Fair trade can turn market liberalization into a strength for mountain producers, allowing them better access to limitless customers around the world. When products are certified as fair trade, it means they enter the global marketplace on more equitable terms and on a more level playing field — and that means that mountain people are duly compensated for the fruits of their labour. Furthermore, fair trade arrangements allow producers to differentiate their products on the market, rather than selling them as anonymous bulk. This accountability gives mountain enterprises the incentive to remain especially attentive to quality, as they aim to establish a reputable, more marketable name for themselves and their mountain products. The fair trade certification also makes products more appealing to consumers on ethical grounds.

Modern research, technology and expertise offer another host of opportunities for mountain product development. While mountain communities already possess a wealth of traditional know-how, modern knowledge can be tapped to enhance product quality, make processing and production more effective, efficient and environmentally sound, or improve marketing.

The way forward

The development of mountain products promises to go far in improving mountain lives and environments. Yet mountain people will need to take collaborative each other and with relevant parties — public, private and non-governmental.
Action is underway. Poor and disadvantaged mountain communities are already receiving strong support from initiatives such as the FAO Mountain Products Project funded by the Government of France. The project is working to help mountain people explore effective ways in which mountain products can improve their lives. Among the outcomes of the project to date are a database and case studies which highlight successes of mountain communities worldwide in leveraging mountain products for better and more sustainable livelihoods.

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How mountain products can improve mountain lives

Burkina Faso R. Faidutti /FAO/000300During the first phase of the French Government-funded FAO Mountain Products Project — or “Promoting and Protecting Local Products as a Means for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions'' — the project identified numerous cases in which mountain products have made a substantial, positive difference to the people and environments in the world's highlands.

A broad range of mountain products worldwide were analysed in terms of their economic, socio-institutional and environmental viability. The project considered the development in the production, use and trade of each product and the positive impact it has had on local incomes, the environment and the lives of poor mountain communities. Also under scrutiny were all stages of the production, processing and marketing chain in order to identify common factors of success, as well as ways of improving strategies and techniques. The findings are compiled on a comprehensive mountain products database.

The project then focussed attention on the most promising of the products analysed to develop one inter-regional and five regional case studies that stressed their potential for being replicated in other mountain locations around the world:

Africa

Fruit tree crops were introduced in the Mount Kenya area where income from traditional cash crops, such as coffee and tea, was declining. Harvests from these trees are now regularly processed for sale, and they also provide a valuable source of nutrients for local people. Read the abstract.

Asia

The Chinese Government has taken measures to promote the cultivation of the seabuckthorn plant, for both its economic and environmental advantages. The plant's highly nutritious berries and leaves can be processed into a variety of foods, beverages, medicines and skincare items. At the same time, seabuckthorn can flourish on even the most difficult terrains, helping to combat erosion and provide nutrients to soil. Read the abstract.

Europe

The current marketing success of ‘Tome des Bauges' cheese is due largely to the collective effort of the groups involved in producing and processing this traditional specialty of the French Alps. The groups worked together within a legal framework to obtain formal distinction for their quality mountain product. Read the abstract.

Latin America

Modern expertise has improved on traditional Andean knowledge to make local arracacha enterprises more competitive and secure, and it has encouraged local communities to explore new uses for this nutritious root crop. Communities in Peru have learned how to improve processing and marketing techniques for rallado, an arracacha sweet enjoyed since pre-Incan times. Read the abstract.

North America

Through organized grassroots action, local residents were able to establish the 11,000-hectare Harrop-Procter Community Forest pilot on publicly-owned Canadian mountain terrain. Under the project, a community cooperative stewards local forests and manages them according to ecosystem-based principles. It also operates two companies: one that produces timber and wood products, and another that produces certified organic dried herbs and teas. Read the abstract.

Inter-regional

The US-based company Dean's Beans® has built a successful coffee business while also promoting economic, social and environmental improvements in upland coffee-producing communities in 11 countries worldwide. The company imports only organic coffees that are certified as fair trade. Dean's Beans® also helps its suppliers to develop projects that benefit their own communities. Read the abstract.

Mountain Products Project Database: Regional product and producer information Database

Case studies in focus

Africa case study – abstract

Branching out into fruit trees for more stable livelihoods in Kenya

Kenya R. Faidutti /FAO/000722Farmers in the Mount Kenya area — mostly women — have been able to secure a more steady income and an additional source of nutrition by planting fruit trees and producing fruit products. For decades they had been facing volatile market prices and declining profits from traditional cash crops, such as coffee and tea, so they began to pursue alternate livelihood options. In the mid-1990s, the Mount Kenya farmers started to make significant headway with the help of national government agencies, various as well as non-governmental and international organizations.

The organizations intervened to assist the farmers in developing the fruit tree sector. They trained farmers in cultivating tree crops, particularly mango, pawpaw, passion fruit, banana and citrus, intending for them to pass this knowledge on to other farmers. They also trained women's farmer groups in how to process the fruits by using solar dryers and by producing jams and chutneys. The processed products not only fetch a higher price on the market, but they are also better preserved so that they can be sold longer or consumed during the lengthy dry season when fresh produce is unavailable to supply the community with vitamins. The women's groups sought microfinancing in order to purchase solar dryers and expand processing to include other products.

Although the organizations' projects ended between 2000 and 2004, the farmers carry on the activities. The women's groups in particular still make a constant income from related sales, even if it has been years since they last received financial assistance. They distribute some of the profits among group members and pool the rest to pay for community needs, such as building materials and water harvesting equipment.

While Mount Kenya farmers have seen a marked improvement in their livelihoods, they now require expertise to help them meet new challenges. In particular, they would benefit from assistance in: tree management, the development of good-quality planting materials, equipment repair, market promotion and farmer group organization.

Click here to read the in-depth case study report.

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Asia case study – abstract

Seabuckthorn in China: improving ecology along with the economy

The seabuckthorn industry in China has been given a boost by new government legislation, aimed at balancing economic development with environmental sustainability. Seabuckthorn has already made significant impact on livelihoods in many Chinese mountain areas, even stopping or reversing the migration that had been flowing towards the lowlands in search of income. There are now some 1.33 million hectares of seabuckthorn plantations in addition to naturally occurring forests, plus over 200 seabuckthorn processing factories in the country.

For mountain households in need of additional or alternative sources of livelihood, there are many advantages to cultivating seabuckthorn. The plant is exceptionally adaptable, as it flourishes in arid, semi-arid and fragile mountain areas. Not only does seabuckthorn grow at high altitudes on degraded slopes, but it also provides long-term agricultural and other environmental benefits. It helps to restore soil fertility, increase vegetation cover, prevent erosion and bring back natural balance by providing a habitat for wildlife.

Seabuckthorn production requires minimal investment and maintenance, yet it can secure much-needed income and nourishment in impoverished mountain communities. Mountain people can process the plant's highly nutritious berries and leaves and sell them for use in a wide variety of medicinal, healthcare and cosmetic products, as well as foods and beverages. The fruit can also provide a source of essential nutrients, a benefit that is especially important to poor families in the winter months when other vitamin sources are in short supply. The future market for seabuckthorn is promising, as scientists worldwide explore further applications for it, including the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Seabuckthorn has the potential to bring its ecological and economic benefits to other countries around the world, especially in highland areas. But first there is a need to raise awareness of the plant's important properties, and to stimulate governments and organizations to promote the development of the seabuckthorn industry.

Click here to read the in-depth case study report.

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Europe case study – abstract

Joining forces to put ‘Tome des Bauges' cheese a cut above

When the traditional ‘Tome des Bauges' cheese goes to market, it is no longer perceived as “just any cheese”, thanks to cooperation among farmers and processors. Aiming to turn their businesses viable, they formed the Tome des Bauges Interprofessional Union. As a union they have achieved together what they could not have accomplished independently. They have pooled their efforts and resources, and are accepted as a credible voice in local economic development. Using this leverage, the union has been instrumental in formally establishing ‘Tome des Bauges' cheese as a unique, high-quality product, and in gaining it greater success on the market.

The Tome des Bauges Interprofessional Union has taken a variety of technical, legal and marketing actions aimed not only at creating a distinct market image for their cheese, but also at protecting its quality and identity. Among the union's activities, it has modernized production sites, obtained legal protection for the Tome des Bauges name by registering it as a protected designation of origin (PDO), and boosted sales by commissioning advertising and other marketing. Research has been key in ensuring product quality. It has allowed the union to identify standards for ‘Tome des Bauges' cheese and to supply all producers with useful technical support and advice.

Assorted other factors have also helped advance the union's objectives. For instance, the creation of a regional nature park in the Bauges spurred local producers to define their agricultural development strategy. And while the union members have largely financed their own activities, they were also able to secure considerable financial assistance from the European Community, which recognizes the Bauges area as a fragile ecological zone. In addition, Tomes des Bauges production has enjoyed the support of regional funding since 1986, as the Savoie and Haute-Savoie Chambers of Agriculture have a policy of supporting collective organizations or operators and the development of traditional mountain products.

The success of ‘Tome des Bauges' cheese has brought an environmental bonus. The cheese, marketed for quality not quantity, must be made using the milk of the local cow breeds fed on pasture and natural fodder. As a result, farmers continue to use local breeds instead of being forced to compete and compromise the environment using intensive breeding systems.

Click here to read the in-depth case study report.

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Latin America case study – abstract

Modern expertise gives a boost to traditional Andean root enterprises

A project led by the International Potato Center (CIP) provided key expertise to rural communities in the Andes of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, enabling them to heighten the regional competitiveness of their arracacha enterprises. The three-year project helped local people make the various stages of production more efficient and raise product quality and demand. The resulting improvements in outputs and market prices have meant new jobs and better incomes. In addition, project technical assistance has led the arracacha farmers to use land more effectively and conserve the native root's genetic diversity. By taking such measures — for instance, by keeping in situ germplasm banks — small arracacha-based enterprises have raised their prospects for a sustainable future.

The Sócota district of Peru is one area where rural families have greatly benefited from the project in terms not only of livelihoods, but also morale. The project worked there with farmers that grow arracacha on small plots of land and with small enterprises that focus on processing arracacha in home-scale plants to make rallado, a traditional sweet. The project introduced the arracacha farmers to important innovations in planting and propagation, such as the use of better root-cutting practices to reduce post-harvest losses that would normally range from 40 to 50 percent. Working with the rallado processors, the project team investigated the traditional production methods and identified ways to enhance them using modern technologies. Some examples are the introduction of more efficient metal ovens, sanitary mixing vats, and faster, double cooling trays. The project also supported the rallado enterprises in the development of markets, skills and organization.

Among the project's other activities, it has promoted new uses for arracacha by working with chefs, and through recipes and food fairs. It has provided local women, teachers and restaurants with training in how to prepare and present these products, ultimately boosting arracacha consumption. The project has inspired the creation of other initiatives involving arracacha products, such as the opening of a local bakery and restaurant in Sucse, Sócota.

Click here to read the in-depth case study report.

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North America – abstract

Grassroots action creates ecology-based community forest project in Canada

After 23 years of determination and organized grassroots' action, local residents officially established the 11,000-hectare Harrop-Procter Community Forest on publicly-owned mountain terrain in British Columbia, Canada. The residents planned and now manage this five-year pilot project with a view to maintaining ecological balance as well as providing income.

The pilot came into being due largely to the relentless efforts of a sizeable environmentally concerned contingent of the community. They feared that impending clear-cutting would cause serious damage to the wildlife and aesthetic value of the area, as well as contaminate the watersheds upon which the entire community depends. Since no one could contest the importance of a clean water supply, the group formed the Harrop-Procter Watershed Protection Society, rallying the support of the majority of local residents, raising funds, and continuously lobbying the provincial Ministry of Forests. In 1999, they won the right to assume control over the area's forests and watersheds under the pilot agreement. The Harrop-Procter Community Co-operative was established to concentrate on the business of forest operations and economic development supported by the forest.

Harrop-Procter Community Co-operative now operates two businesses in the community forest. One is Sunshine Bay Botanicals, which is a certified organic herb and non-timber forest products company. It produces teas, dried herbs and tinctures. The other is Harrop-Procter Forest Products, which produces timber, lumber, and value-added forest products such as flooring, decking, siding and cabinets. The cooperative has also prepared plans for an eco-tourism company. Ecological balance is a primary objective in all enterprises and, so far, the cooperative has proven effective in achieving it.

The cooperative will need to demonstrate that the forest enterprises are also economically successful and sustainable in order for the pilot project to be extended beyond five years. The pilot was made possible under a new Ministry of Forests programme designed to give communities a greater sense of forest ownership and more willingness to invest time and money in sustainable economic development. It allows them “land-based” tenure, which grants a community stewardship of a given expanse of land for a specified period of time. In the case of the Harrop-Procter Community Forest, however, the community holds licenses granting tenure for only the five years of the pilot project. This makes it very difficult to attract financing at reasonable rates, secure business partners or plan infrastructure. Just the same, in its first three years, the Harrop-Procter Community Forest is estimated to have generated $1,000,000 CDN or $761,209 US in local wages.

Click here to read the in-depth case study report.

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Inter-regional case study – abstract

Profits with a conscience: how a fair trade, organic coffee company is bringing wide-ranging benefits to mountain areas around the globe

Dean's Beans® has fostered economic, social and environmental improvements in upland coffee-producing communities, while also building a profitable international business. In fact, Dean's Beans® now makes more than $1.3 million US in annual coffee sales.

How does Dean's Beans® do it? It begins by importing, roasting and selling only shade-grown coffee that can be certified as fair trade and organic. This ensures that producers employ environmentally responsible methods and earn equitable profits despite falling coffee commodity prices. Even if Dean's Beans® must pay a higher price to its suppliers, many consumers are willing to pay more for 100 percent fair trade, 100 percent organic, shade-grown coffee. Indeed, they prefer it for the generally superior quality and the lack of pesticides; plus they can feel good about supporting small farmers and respecting the environment. Dean's Beans® now offers the largest selection of organic fair trade coffee in the USA.

But Dean's Beans® work does not stop at simply buying and selling beans. Drawing its supply from growers' cooperatives in 11 countries, the company maintains direct personal relations with each and every cooperative, and it helps promote development in both their businesses and communities. After consulting with the cooperative members themselves, Dean's Beans® has supported projects to improve production and processing infrastructure, access to credit, clean water supplies, education, health clinics, cultural events, environmental conservation, and – importantly – conflict reduction, to name a few. The growers have seen positive impacts including increased household incomes, reduced out-migration, better community health, brighter futures for their children, and a rise in hope, dignity and professional pride. Dean's Beans® buys from producer cooperatives in the uplands of Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, East Timor, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Sumatra.

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Coffee: The #1 cash crop

Coffee is the world's second most legally traded commodity after petroleum. Like cocoa and bananas, coffee is a tropical export that is produced almost exclusively in the developing world, and approximately 25 million farmers depend on it for their incomes. Arabica coffee, which represents about 70 percent of the world trade, is grown exclusively in the tropical mountains and uplands of the world. Coffee needs plenty of water, permanently moist air and a high temperature, so is found in the moist, hot regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. In Africa, coffee is grown mainly in forest areas. Smallholders cultivate some 75 percent of the world's total coffee area. In Africa, it is more than 90 percent. Smallholders often live in remote mountain areas.


What is fair trade?

Fair trade helps guarantee that producers are duly compensated for the goods and services they provide, and that the environment will support future production. It ensures that:


Why are coffee prices falling?

Many different explanations have been put forward for the sustained decrease that coffee commodity prices are currently incurring. These include:


FAO and France: ‘Promoting and Protecting Local Products as a Means for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions'

Mountains are rich in biodiversity, yet the vast majority of mountain people live in poverty. Indeed, according to a recent FAO study on vulnerability in mountains, as many as 245 million rural mountain people in developing and transition countries are at risk of, or actually experiencing, hunger and food insecurity. Living far from the centres of commerce and power, mountain people have little influence over the policies and decisions that influence their lives and contribute to the deterioration of their homelands. As a result, many mountain people live on the economic fringe as subsistence farmers and herders, traders and day labourers, with no authority over those who exploit their land.

There is great potential to improve the livelihoods of mountain people by building on the comparative advantages of mountain resources and promoting the wide variety of unique products and services that mountain regions and communities can offer – from foods and beverages, to medicines, cosmetics, crafts and tourism. However, in the current context of global trade liberalization, producers in mountain regions who face problems related to high transport costs, weak infrastructure, inadequate technology and difficulty in accessing markets, are confronted by increasing competition from low-cost systems and areas of production. To be successful in the marketplace, mountain producers must therefore concentrate on developing the quality of the products and services that their regions can offer.

FAO Mountain Products Project

The FAO Mountain Products Project was launched in September 2003 with the overall goal of promoting and protecting local high-quality products as a strategy for sustainable development in mountain regions. Initial funds were provided by the Government of France to cover project activities from Sept. 2003 – March 2005. During this time, a database with information on mountain products world-wide was developed, five regional and one inter-regional case studies were developed, a report analyzing the common key factors of success was written and a preliminary analysis of strategic sub sectors (including identification of constraints and opportunities along the product value chain) was carried out in the regions of the Southern Mediterranean, the Andes and the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

The next phase … May 2005 – April 2007

The objective of the next phase of the Mountain Products Project (May 2005 – April 2007) is to build institutional capacity at the regional level to promote high-quality mountain products and support the sustainable development of small-scale enterprises in related sub sectors. Efforts will focus on strengthening the capacity of regional organizations to respond to the needs of small-scale enterprises involved in the production and marketing of high-quality mountain products.

This will be achieved through the design and implementation of interventions to support strategic sub sectors in pilot countries. The lessons learned from this pilot experience will enable the development of regional “Resource Kits” (containing training material and technical assistance modules) that will be used by regional organizations in the long-term to support small-scale enterprises based on high-quality mountain products.

This next phase of the project will be coordinated by FAO, in close collaboration with regional organizations who are responsible for implementing the project in the different regions (Andes, Southern Mediterranean, Hindu Kush Himalyas, Eastern Africa).

The regional organizations will play a key role in carrying out the following tasks:

The beneficiaries of the project will be the enterprises of selected sub sectors who will receive training and technical assistance, as well as the local organizations whose capacity to provide needed services to enterprises will be strengthened.

Read the project concept note here.

Organic coffee in Kenya: a case of cross-sector partnership with private-sector leadership establishing fair trade

Dean's Beans® is spearheading a pilot projected to help Kenyan coffee growers generate better, more stable income through fair trade and organic certification. Operating within the framework of the Mountain Partnership, the project is employing the sort of cross-sector collaboration promoted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002), cooincidentally the venue for the launch of this innovative alliance.

Dean's Beans® – a privately owned, for-profit coffee importer and roaster – has been instrumental in planning the project in Kenya and pushing it forward, securing the participation of the broad spectrum of players necessary for the project to succeed.

How will the project benefit farmers?

Under the usual trade and production conditions, Kenyan coffee farmers face a host of challenges. Coffee commodity prices have dropped to such an extent that most growers barely recover the cost of production. Furthermore, a large percentage of the growers' already-meagre earnings are captured by middlemen such as processors, brokers, exporters and local lenders. As is the case for most East African farmers, Kenyan coffee farmers must sell their beans through controlled state auctions. The auction system has helped harmonize and organize the industry, but it also poses a major inhibition to improving farmer income. On top of the farmers' economic disadvantages, mainstream coffee cultivation methods can be toxic or environmentally unsustainable on the long term. A case in point: besides cotton, coffee is the crop most heavily sprayed with dangerous pesticides.

By enabling small-scale Kenyan coffee farmers to secure both fair trade and organic certification, the pilot project will help farmers meet many of their present constraints. The certification means that farmers work under safe and equitable conditions, use ecologically sound practices, and enter into fair business deals. For instance, farming households and communities carry less of the financial risk burden, since fair trade prices guarantee 60 percent advance payment of the cost of production. Certification also offers considerable marketing advantages.

Organic, fair trade coffee is a niche product gaining in popularity around the world, and it commands a significantly higher and more stable price on the market. Beans produced by pilot participants will have the added distinction of being the only fair trade, organic coffee to come out of Kenya.

The project in action

Working alongside the Ministry of Cooperative Development and Marketing, Kenya Fair Traders, and Cooperative Coffees, Dean's Beans® has planned and proposed a project model designed for expediency “on the ground”. Its effectiveness will depend on the participation and collaboration of a wide range of participants — including government, producers' cooperatives, certification companies, financing and development organizations, technical agencies and other businesses. Action involves:

At this point, Dean's Beans® is on its way to purchasing the first container of certified organic, certified fair trade coffee from Cooperative Coffees and the Embu Farmers Cooperative, which have been selected to participate in the pilot project. The process of formal certification is underway, and the container has been financed.

To date, representatives of the coffee industry are watching the project with great interest, as they anticipate the availability of much sought-after organic, fair trade coffee from Kenya.

Lessons learned – past and future

The pilot project takes inspiration from existing fair trade successes, such as one that Dean's Beans® helped broker in Ethiopia. There, the company buys beans from the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, made up of 34 member cooperatives. Dean's Beans® worked with Oromia to introduce the first ever fair trade, organic Ethiopian coffee into the United States. Oromia remains one of a number of small farmer coffee cooperatives that have received exemptions from the auction system. This permits them to sell their product directly, with a clear identification of origin. It has allowed these farmers to sell at a far better price on the commodity market, and to sell on the fair trade market at almost triple the commodity price. Furthermore, these farmers have taken advantage of formal organic certification to improve their environment, differentiate their products and realize a meaningful organic price premium on the market.

Just as the successes of Oromia in Ethiopia are helping to shape the project in highland Kenya, so an important objective of the Kenyan pilot project is for it to act as a model that will help guide other environmentally sustainable, fair trade initiatives to success.

The Mountain Partnership

Initiatives such as this are part of the Mountain Partnership's efforts to better the lives and livelihoods of mountain people while conserving the environments on which they depend. One of the key roles of the Mountain Partnership is to facilitate brokerage and match-making services between members in order to open up new market opportunities to achieve these goals.

Organizations involved

Organizations that may become involved

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On shaky ground: Coffee farming in Kenya

The increasing variability of the global coffee market has put the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale Kenyan coffee producers at risk. Coffee production had provided a reliable income for many mountain communities in Kenya until the early 1990s, when prices on the global market began to fall steadily despite retail prices remaining the same.

It is estimated that coffee production currently involves over 500,000 Kenyan farmers, 70 percent of whom are smallholders cultivating from one to five acres of land in the rich volcanic soil of the highland areas.

Since the drop in coffee prices, coffee producers have found it difficult to diversify or establish alternative sources of income.