Representatives from across the global tea sector gathered in London this month for a high-level roundtable convened and hosted by ETP, bringing together Kenyan government officials, industry leaders, and supply chain stakeholders to discuss the future of Kenyan tea amid shifting global market dynamics.
The session featured Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Sen. Mutahi Kagwe alongside the CEO from the Tea Board of Kenya Willy Mutai and the Kenyan High Commissioner, Ambassador Maurice Makoloo. Discussions focussed on market access, sustainability, quality, traceability, labour, climate resilience, and the long-term competitiveness of Kenyan tea.
Kenya remains the world’s largest tea exporter, supplying tea to 95 countries worldwide, with tea exports contributing 24% of the total export earnings . The discussions reinforced Kenya’s continued importance within the international tea trade and its strategic role in the tea global supply chain.
Value increases through local processing and branding
A key focus was how Kenya can retain greater economic value domestically through increased processing, packaging, and branding. Participants explored opportunities to strengthen Kenya’s international market position while ensuring more value remains with local producers and businesses. Plans for formal geographical indication certification were also highlighted, designed to authenticate Kenyan tea internationally, including within blended products sold in global markets.
Changing consumer preferences
Changing consumer preferences and growing demand for premium teas formed another major area of discussion. While Kenya has traditionally been known for CTC tea production, investment is increasingly shifting towards higher-value orthodox teas as international demand continues to grow, supported by ongoing farmer training and quality improvement programmes. Participants also highlighted growing interest in speciality products such as purple tea, a variety native to Kenya, as premium tea markets develop.
Technology and traceability
Technology and traceability were identified as increasingly important to the sector’s future development. Discussions included proposals for a Kenyan Agricultural Data Centre to improve traceability, strengthen soil monitoring, and support wider technology adoption across tea-growing regions.
Digital platforms to connect international buyers more directly with factories were also explored to improve transparency and efficiency across the supply chain.
Climate and environmental priorities
Climate resilience and sustainability remained central themes throughout the roundtable, including discussion of reforestation and tree planting initiatives already underway across tea-growing regions. Participants reinforced the importance of continued collaboration between governments, industry, and international stakeholders to address shared environmental challenges affecting tea production and long-term sector sustainability.
Workforce sustainability
Labour and workforce sustainability featured prominently, including discussions around wages, worker welfare, and the ageing farming population in Kenya.
The importance of attracting younger generations into agriculture through training, technology and new career opportunities was highlighted, as well as the pressures created by rising input costs such as fertiliser and fuel. These challenges come at a time when global demand for Kenyan tea, particularly orthodox varieties, continues to outpace the country’s production capacity.
Overall, the roundtable highlighted both the challenges and opportunities facing Kenya’s tea sector as global markets continue to evolve. It was a time to reflect on the importance of bringing together key supply chain actors to build relationships, share perspectives, and identify practical solutions. As a global convenor in the tea sector, ETP plays an important role in convening these conversations and supporting collaboration across the tea sector to help strengthen the long-term resilience of tea-producing communities and supply chains and improve outcomes for the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on tea.
We would like to thank Sen. Kagwe, Ambassador Makoloo and CEO Mutai for their collective contribution to the meeting and the wide-ranging discussion.
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