Factors influencing decent work practices in production and primary processing within Coffee Estates in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya, coffee production employs approximately 30 percent of the agricultural labour force. Due to its labour-intensive nature, coffee requires human capital throughout its production and primary processing, leading to casual workers' high engagement. These workers experience complex and challenging working conditions, including long working hours, poor remuneration, limited social capacity, poor health, poor living conditions, and unfavourable employment terms, which lead to job insecurity as well as poor livelihoods. Moreover, the empirical evidence about decent work compliance literature in coffee production and primary processing is limited. To bridge this gap, the current study sought to provide empirical research about compliance with decent work and factors that influence compliance within coffee estates to promote productive employment, workers’ livelihoods, and sustainable economic growth in Kiambu County. A Multistage sampling method was used to select 385 casual workers from Fairview, EAAGADS, Ibonia, and Yadini coffee estates. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and subjected to analysis using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Probit Model. Results from the descriptive statistics shows high compliance with adequate earnings and productive employment with an index of 0.65, medium compliance with social protection with an index of 0.51, and low compliance with safety at the workplace and social dialogue with indices of 0.44 and 0.41, respectively. Multivariate probit results indicated that factors including age, gender, marital status, education, the position of an employee, estate ownership, the estate size, coffee marketing channel, monthly salary, working hours, break time, training, ILO’s inspection were significantly influencing the compliance with decent work. Therefore, the study recommends that coffee estates owners and managers should be encouraged to put more effort into achieving all decent work practices as per ILO standards. There is a need for tripartite efforts and consistent supervision to promote safety at the workplace and social dialogue pillars within coffee production and primary processing. Lastly, both private and public-private coffee estates should consider all factors that influence the compliance of decent work within coffee production and primary processing. Decent work should be complied with equally across all genders and age groups without any discrimination. Continuous training and supervision would encourage coffee estate owners to comply with decent work within their enterprises. The findings help guide coffee estate owners in information about the status of decent work within their enterprises and informing policy makers on how to improve decent work practices.