Supporting Kenyan coffee and tea companies to access the Finnish market

On 5 October, Finnpartnership and the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) hosted a webinar for Kenyan companies from the coffee and tea sectors to share information on access to the Finnish and EU markets.

Kenya’s exports to Finland amounted to EUR 8,4 million in 2022. While tea and coffee are among the top products Kenya exports to Finland, KEPROBA CEO Floice Mukabana highlighted the significant opportunities there are to develop the trade relations through understanding the current and upcoming EU regulations. The webinar was timely, as the EU is currently preparing regulation on due diligence, and brought together over 220 interested participants.

Linda Piirto, Commercial Counsellor from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, shared about the EU legislation on sustainable value chains, explaining what could be required from companies, should the EU regulation on due diligence be put in place. The key aim of the regulation is that human rights and the environment are taken into consideration in global value chains.

The participants also got a highly informative presentation from Kati Sorvali-Borén, Sourcing Manager at Paulig Group, who spoke about the specificities of Finnish coffee consumption and requirements for exporters and coffee producers interested in accessing the Finnish market. Finnish people consume coffee the most in the world. However, unlike many other countries, Finnish consumers prefer light roasted coffee. According to Sorvali-Borén, this sets specific and strict requirements for the coffee quality, ensuring that the coffee is fresh and has no chemical residues. Moreover, Sorvali-Borén emphasised the importance of compliance, traceability and certification which are key to access the Finnish market.

In case you missed the webinar, its recording can be viewed here.

Finnish companies interested in connecting with Kenyan companies in the coffee and tea sectors are encouraged to contact Finnpartnership’s Regional Coordinator in Nairobi, Elizabeth Okunda via elizabeth.okunda@finnpartnership.

Finnpartnership’s Matchmaking database also includes coffee and tea sector companies from other developing markets looking for Finnish business partners. Companies from developing markets are welcome to register to the database.