A bold digital shift putting Kenyan coffee on the world map.

Kenya’s coffee industry is once again in the global spotlight after the Coffee Directorate rolled out its new digital traceability system last week. The platform aims to ensure that every bag of Kenyan coffee can be traced from the farm to the international auction floor enhancing transparency, quality assurance and farmer earnings.

GS1 standards fit seamlessly into this initiative. By assigning each batch of coffee beans a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and linking it to a farmer’s Global Location Number (GLN), stakeholders can follow the entire coffee journey from harvest and processing to export. When a barcode is scanned at the mill or port, buyers can instantly verify the coffee’s origin, variety and certification status.

   

This level of visibility boosts Kenya’s competitive edge in the global market, where sustainability and authenticity are becoming as valuable as flavour. Farmers also benefit directly, as traceable coffee earns premium prices and builds consumer confidence abroad.

By integrating GS1 identifiers into its digital system, Kenya is setting a new standard for agricultural transparency showing that the story behind every bean matters as much as the brew itself.