Evaluating the Barriers to Adopting Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Smallholder Coffee Farming: Implications for Global Value Chains

Purpose: This study aims to access the perception of smallholder coffee farmers on barriers to the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices (SAPs). Methodology: Survey data were obtained through a questionnaire from 122 coffee producers in Nyeri County, the central region of Kenya. Data were subjected to factor analysis using varimax rotation to identify key factors likely to hinder the adoption of SAPs. Findings: Six factors were extracted through exploratory factor analysis: deficient knowledge, materials and process encumbrances, financial challenges, cost–benefit rationality, capacity and market constraints, and lack of skills. Cronbach’s alpha was used to ensure the reliability of the data and overall level of agreement among respondents. Practical implications: The study concludes that the pathway to integrating coffee smallholders into sustainable global value chains should start with increasing awareness about the sustainability impacts of coffee agriculture before implementing training programs on SAPs.