Thanks to Jonathan Reed of Paddy & Scotts, The Story of Rilee is now being enjoyed by the children of Kenya. On a recent trip to Africa, Jonathan kindly agreed to take some of the First Editions with him to give to the children in the nearby schools.
Here’s why Paddy & Scotts spend time in Kenya
The journey from coffee farm to coffee cup is often long, complicated, and unfairly weighted against the people who matter most, the farmers. Too many hands take a share along the way, leaving growers with only a fraction of the value created by their hard work.
Paddy & Scott’s believed there was a better way so back in 2016, they set out to remove the unnecessary middlemen, shorten the distance between coffee grower and coffee drinker and create a model that gives more back to the farming communities at the heart of the industry.
That vision led to the Meru, Kenya. Nestled 300 kilometres north of Nairobi, on the fertile eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, lies the Meru Farm.
Working alongside George Muchomba and his eldest son Isaac, Paddy & Scotts created a project to transform the way coffee is traded.
Today, the Meru Farm stands as the second home of Paddy & Scott’s. It’s where they grow incredible coffee while investing directly into the people and infrastructure that make it possible.
From the beginning, this project was about more than producing great beans. They helped build a model farm with shared facilities that local coffee-growing families can use to support their livelihoods.
The impact of the Meru Community Project now reaches far beyond the farm itself.
Just 6 kilometres south of the farm sits Ruiga Day Secondary School, attended by many of the children of our farm workers.
There was no running water, inadequate sanitation facilities, and even the classroom windows lacked glass.
While constructing a new coffee pulping station on the farm, Paddy & Scotts saw an opportunity to do more.
They extended the farm’s water supply directly to the school by installing a 6.6-kilometre water feed and new storage tanks. Alongside this, built a brand-new brick toilet block complete with washing facilities, giving students access to basic essentials many of us take for granted.
In 2020 the International Trade Centre commissioned a 48 page report:
“Better returns for East African coffee producers” which highlighted the findings of how little money East African farmers actually receive for their crop.
Having followed and investigated the project for several months the Paddy & Scott’s Muchomba Farm was highlighted:
“Trading coffee directly with the Muchomba family allows Paddy & Scott’s to reduce the supply chain and support the farm and local community directly.”
“The entrepreneurial genius in this example was associating consumers directly with the source, inviting them to be partners, to be part of the story, to visit the farm and see first-hand how their coffee is grown. The partnership has also financed the rehabilitation of a
local school, a benefit to the whole community”
“The company invests heavily in the Muchomba farm’s infrastructure and agronomy to ensure that coffee is being used as a vehicle for social impact. Paddy & Scott’s are committed to pay above market price for their crop and enjoy an agreement that
guarantees the coffee produced by George and his team will go to a good home”
“Paddy and Scotts pays the equivalent of $6/kg plus a premium. This is substantially higher than the 2018/19 average main-grade price of $4.70/kg published by the Nairobi Coffee Exchange”