At just 27 years old, John Kamau is proving that youth can take the lead in redefining Kenya’s coffee sector through innovation and value addition. His journey into the world of coffee began in childhood, growing up in Kenya’s coffee estates where his father worked. Early exposure to coffee cultivation and processing sparked a lifelong interest that would shape his career.
Kamau’s curiosity, coupled with practical lessons from his father, gave him a foundational understanding of the entire coffee value chain from wet and dry processing to the reuse of coffee husks. Motivated by his passion, he pursued a degree in Agribusiness at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and later trained as a barista. His skills took him overseas to Kuwait, where he deepened his expertise in coffee preparation and roasting.
Upon returning to Kenya, Kamau enrolled in an internationally certified roasting course under a regional coffee program. This training was transformative, opening his eyes to the economic disparities between coffee sold in raw form and coffee sold as a finished product. Determined to bridge this gap, he founded Jungle Harvest Coffee Roasters a venture focused on empowering farmers through value addition.
Jungle Harvest Coffee works closely with youth- and women-led farming groups, sourcing green beans and transforming them into roasted, packaged products. Kamau’s goal is to help farmers many of whom have never tasted their own coffee experience the full value of their produce. Despite challenges like machinery access and certification hurdles, his venture has steadily grown and is now licensed to roast coffee.
Recognition came when Kamau’s model was selected in a global innovation challenge focused on sustainability. Today, he continues to advocate for increased domestic coffee consumption in Kenya and dreams of owning full-scale processing equipment to reduce outsourcing.
Through his work, Kamau is showing young people that the coffee industry offers more than farming there are opportunities in roasting, marketing, and innovation. His message is simple yet powerful: start small, follow your passion, and claim your place in the coffee value chain.
