Job share Knowledge Exchange Fellowship: Regenerative agriculture for sustainable plantation ecosystems
Lead Research Organisation:
CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science
Abstract
Plantation ecosystems underpin the production of a range of commodities including tea and coffee and supports the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. However, these ecosystems face a range of challenges, including declining soil fertility and increased soil erosion, and yields that are maintained through high nitrogen fertiliser applications. Across most production areas, climate change is reducing yields and crop quality, impacting farmer livelihoods.
Regenerative agriculture (RA) describes a suite of practices designed to deliver beneficial outcomes for agroecosystems, with a focus on improving soil health and soil carbon sequestration, lower agrochemical inputs, and increasing biodiversity. This results in a healthier, more climate resilient ecosystem. For plantation crops, approaches include agroforestry and intercropping, reduced soil disturbance, and the use of organic fertilisers and composts as alternatives to inorganic fertilisers. At present, adoption is low due to limited research on specific techniques for certain crops, and knowledge and financial barriers. However, many techniques have significant similarities across regions and crops, and thus evidence of the benefits and possible trade-offs have the potential to be more widely applied. Adopting such an approach will help accelerate the incorporation of RA into current management practices.
In this project, we will focus on the adoption of RA in tea and coffee production in East Africa. We will primarily work in Kenya, as tea and coffee are key regional exports and underpins the livelihoods of over a million smallholder farmers, but production is vulnerable to climate change. In the longer-term, and with the help of our partners and networks, we hope to expand our scope to include further crops and regions.
To achieve our aim, this fellowship will facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers, agribusinesses, NGOs and smallholder farmers in tea and coffee ecosystems, building on the relationships and networks already established by the applicants (Dr Nick Girkin and Dr Kenisha Garnett) and Cranfield University. We will adopt a transdisciplinary approach, bringing our diverse background, experience and collective expertise in tropical ecosystem processes, RA, and the social sciences.
We will synthesise NERC-remit science on RA's environmental benefits for tea and coffee ecosystems, with evidence of the social and economic impacts of adoption and combine this with new knowledge generated through the sharing of ideas, experience and expertise between researchers, agribusinesses and smallholder famers. We will adopt a co-production approach to our work with smallholders, to generate insights on current sustainable practices, and identify barriers to change, and delivery models.
We will use this evidence to create materials to inform discussions with policymakers (e.g. the All-Parliamentary Group on Agroecology for Sustainable Food and Farming), NGOs (e.g. Rainforest Alliance) and businesses (e.g. Ekaterra) around the benefits of RA and means of incentivising adoption. Working collaboratively with our partners and a network of smallholder farmers, we will co-develop a RA toolkit for plantation crops, which can inform practice and promote adoption.
A key impact of this fellowship will be the translation of NERC-remit science to improve the sustainability of tea and coffee production, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits to smallholders in the long-term. We will achieve our aim with support from a range of partners including agribusiness (e.g. Ekaterra), NGOs (e.g. Rainforest Alliance) and regional research institutions (e.g. Kenyatta University). We anticipate the knowledge exchange and engagement of stakeholders across our networks can be sustained and that the network will be self-maintaining after the fellowship, to deliver a long-term legacy by increasing the sustainability and climate resilience of plantation ecosystems.
Regenerative agriculture (RA) describes a suite of practices designed to deliver beneficial outcomes for agroecosystems, with a focus on improving soil health and soil carbon sequestration, lower agrochemical inputs, and increasing biodiversity. This results in a healthier, more climate resilient ecosystem. For plantation crops, approaches include agroforestry and intercropping, reduced soil disturbance, and the use of organic fertilisers and composts as alternatives to inorganic fertilisers. At present, adoption is low due to limited research on specific techniques for certain crops, and knowledge and financial barriers. However, many techniques have significant similarities across regions and crops, and thus evidence of the benefits and possible trade-offs have the potential to be more widely applied. Adopting such an approach will help accelerate the incorporation of RA into current management practices.
In this project, we will focus on the adoption of RA in tea and coffee production in East Africa. We will primarily work in Kenya, as tea and coffee are key regional exports and underpins the livelihoods of over a million smallholder farmers, but production is vulnerable to climate change. In the longer-term, and with the help of our partners and networks, we hope to expand our scope to include further crops and regions.
To achieve our aim, this fellowship will facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers, agribusinesses, NGOs and smallholder farmers in tea and coffee ecosystems, building on the relationships and networks already established by the applicants (Dr Nick Girkin and Dr Kenisha Garnett) and Cranfield University. We will adopt a transdisciplinary approach, bringing our diverse background, experience and collective expertise in tropical ecosystem processes, RA, and the social sciences.
We will synthesise NERC-remit science on RA's environmental benefits for tea and coffee ecosystems, with evidence of the social and economic impacts of adoption and combine this with new knowledge generated through the sharing of ideas, experience and expertise between researchers, agribusinesses and smallholder famers. We will adopt a co-production approach to our work with smallholders, to generate insights on current sustainable practices, and identify barriers to change, and delivery models.
We will use this evidence to create materials to inform discussions with policymakers (e.g. the All-Parliamentary Group on Agroecology for Sustainable Food and Farming), NGOs (e.g. Rainforest Alliance) and businesses (e.g. Ekaterra) around the benefits of RA and means of incentivising adoption. Working collaboratively with our partners and a network of smallholder farmers, we will co-develop a RA toolkit for plantation crops, which can inform practice and promote adoption.
A key impact of this fellowship will be the translation of NERC-remit science to improve the sustainability of tea and coffee production, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits to smallholders in the long-term. We will achieve our aim with support from a range of partners including agribusiness (e.g. Ekaterra), NGOs (e.g. Rainforest Alliance) and regional research institutions (e.g. Kenyatta University). We anticipate the knowledge exchange and engagement of stakeholders across our networks can be sustained and that the network will be self-maintaining after the fellowship, to deliver a long-term legacy by increasing the sustainability and climate resilience of plantation ecosystems.
People |
ORCID iD |
Kenisha Garnett (Principal Investigator) |
Publications

Jones K
(2024)
Assessing the Impact of Voluntary Certification Schemes on Future Sustainable Coffee Production
in Sustainability

Sakrabani R
(2023)
Towards net zero in agriculture: Future challenges and opportunities for arable, livestock and protected cropping systems in the UK
in Outlook on Agriculture
Description | Climate change impacts on Kenyan coffee farmers |
Amount | £4,500 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Douglas Bomford Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2022 |
End | 10/2022 |
Description | Measuring and modelling catchment scale carbon flows in cocoa plantations |
Amount | £122,100 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cargill Europe |
Sector | Private |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 12/2026 |
Description | Mitigating climate change risks for tea farms and tea farming communities in Nigeria |
Amount | £112,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | PTDF Petroleum Technology Development Fund Nigeria |
Sector | Public |
Country | Nigeria |
Start | 06/2023 |
End | 06/2026 |
Title | Opportunities for enhancing the climate resilience of coffee production through improved crop, soil and water management |
Description | Climate change is adversely affecting coffee production, impacting both yields and quality. Coffee production is dominated by the cultivation of Arabica and Robusta coffee, species that represent 99% of production, but both will be affected by climate change. Sustainable management practices that can enhance the resilience of production and livelihoods to climate change are urgently needed as production supports the livelihoods of over 25 million people globally, the majority of whom are smallholder farmers located in the coffee belt spanning the tropics. These communities are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. We conducted a systematic review, identifying 80 studies that describe the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on coffee agroecosystems, or that identify agroecological practices with the potential to enhance climate resilience. Adverse environmental impacts include a reduction in area suitable for production, lower yields, increased intensity and frequency of extreme climate events, and greater incidence of pests and diseases. Potential environmental solutions include altitudinal shifts, new, resilient cultivars, altering agrochemical inputs, and agroforestry. However, financial, environmental and technical constraints limit the availability of many of these approaches to farmers, particularly smallholder producers. There is therefore an urgent need to address these barriers through policy and market mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement to continue meeting the growing demand for coffee. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Opportunities for enhancing the climate resilience of coffee production through improved crop, soil and water management |
URL | https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Opportunities_for_enhancing_the_climate_resilience_of_co... |
Description | Research partnership with Kenyatta University |
Organisation | Kenyatta University |
Country | Kenya |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have been working to synthesise evidence of the benefits (and trade-offs) from the adoption of regenerative farming practices for smallholder farmers in East Africa. Specifically, my expertise has been focussed on social impacts and implications of different regenerative interventions / practices on smallholders. By better evidencing RA techniques and their environmental and social impacts, we hope to support smallholder farmers in adopting more climate resilient farming practices. |
Collaborator Contribution | The partner (Dr Ezekiel Mugendi, Kenyatta University) has been providing extensive support in this project, including his expertise in soil biology across smallholder farms in Kenya, and through supporting arranging logistics for fieldwork to visit smallholder farmers and undertake farmer surveys and questionnaires. He is also contributing to publications of our outputs, currently in development. |
Impact | Several outputs are currently in development. This collaboration is multi-disciplinary, bringing together expertise in agronomy, soil science and social sciences. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Conference presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Approximately 60 academics, postgraduates, policymakers, farmers and practitioners attended a conference presentation on "Co-developing a regenerative agriculture toolkit for tea and coffee farmers" during which we highlighted the benefits from adopting a co-creation approach to understanding farm management impacts on farmers and sustainability. It sparked extensive discussion after the presentation, and a series of three follow-up meetings with academics and students interested in adopting similar approaches in related subject areas. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Invited talk and workshop with the European Cocoa Federation (Belgium) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | An invited talk and short workshop with the European Cocoa Federation, focusing on our work with smallholder farmers, and building on our approach working on tea and coffee. Resulted in follow-on funding from Cargill Europe for a studentship looking at a similar topic on cocoa. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |