Kenya has launched a multi-year national project to create a comprehensive coffee flavour atlas, aiming to document the country's diverse sensory profiles. The initiative will analyze approximately 500 coffee samples from 34 different growing counties, with the final atlas scheduled for publication in 2027. The project officially begins with an industry expo and cupping sessions in Nairobi from November 14-16.
The core of the project involves blind sensory evaluations by both Kenyan and international cupping professionals. The data collected will link specific flavour attributes to their regional origins, coffee varieties, and on-farm production practices. The resulting atlas will be made freely available to the industry and is planned to include detailed regional flavour profiles, visual maps, and a searchable sensory database. The goal is to build a shared reference point that captures the full spectrum of Kenyan coffee beyond its most famous descriptors.
This initiative is a collaboration supported by the Government of Kenya, the Coffee Board of Kenya, and international bodies including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). A related conference will address topics such as regenerative agriculture and climate suitability, with the FAO set to present findings from its Kenya Arabica Climate and Soil Suitability Mapping Initiative. The project also coincides with a notable rise in domestic coffee consumption, with the country's Agriculture and Food Authority reporting that the number of coffee shops grew from 231 in 2019 to 791 in 2023.