--- title: "Kenyan tea farmers face falling incomes amid climate change" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/climate/kenyan-tea-farmers-face-falling-incomes-amid-climate-change" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/kenyan-tea-farmers-face-falling-incomes-amid-climate-change" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/climate/kenyan-tea-farmers-face-falling-incomes-amid-climate-change.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/kenyan-tea-farmers-face-falling-incomes-amid-climate-change" category: "Climate" area: "Africa" published: "2026-09-21T04:45:47.543Z" source_reported: "2026-09-21T04:08:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-21T04:45:47.543Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 40 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-21T12:45:33.861872+00:00" --- # Kenyan tea farmers face falling incomes amid climate change *Unpredictable weather, rising costs, and trade practices are impacting yields and farmer earnings.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named sources and corroborated by multiple outlets. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reporting includes specific figures, dates, and places, and quotes affected individuals. - Hype 40 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use mild emphasis but do not overstate the article's content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Kenyan tea farmers are experiencing reduced yields and incomes due to unpredictable climate conditions, unfair trade practices, and rising costs. - Fintea, a union of tea farming cooperatives, reported a 30% fall in production in May and June. - One farmer, Lilian Mutai Levin Langot, expects her annual income to drop from 120,000 to 90,000 Kenyan Shillings. - Another farmer, Paul Kipsigei Koech, earns less than £1 a day and is 80,000 Kenyan Shillings in debt. Kenyan tea farmers are facing reduced yields and incomes due to a combination of unpredictable climate conditions, unfair trade practices, and rising costs. The East African nation is a significant supplier of black tea to Britain, providing half of the country's consumption. However, farmers are struggling to profit from their crops, with some reporting significant financial hardship and debt. Fintea, a union representing tea farming cooperatives in Kenya, reported a 30% decrease in production during May and June compared to previous years. This decline is attributed to increasingly volatile weather patterns, including unseasonal storms and droughts. Farmers are finding it difficult to meet basic living costs, let alone invest in measures to adapt to climate change. Individual farmers have shared accounts of their struggles. Lilian Mutai Levin Langot reported losing significant earnings after a hailstorm destroyed her tea plants. She anticipates her annual income will fall from 120,000 to 90,000 Kenyan Shillings. Another farmer, Paul Kipsigei Koech, earns between 3,000 and 4,000 Kenyan Shillings per month, which amounts to less than £1 per day, and he is 80,000 Kenyan Shillings in debt. ## Disagreement on the cause of reduced income The Independent (US) reported that Kenyan farmers are experiencing reduced yields and incomes due to unpredictable climate conditions, unfair trade practices, and rising costs. It also noted that middlemen, brokers, and large corporations absorb most of the profits, leaving farmers with little financial benefit from higher global tea prices. The other reports available do not detail the specific reasons for reduced income beyond climate impacts. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre or right-rated digests mention the specific figures for production falls reported by Fintea, nor do they include the individual farmer testimonies about income reductions and debt levels that were detailed in The Independent (US) report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 38% (3) - Centre: 49% (4) - Right: 13% (1) 2 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-21T12:45:33.861872+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 30 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-21T13:01:08.828Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on the impact of climate change and other factors on Kenyan tea farmers' yields and incomes. The Independent (US) detailed how unpredictable climate conditions, unfair trade practices, and rising costs are squeezing farmers' earnings. It highlighted specific farmer testimonies, including Lilian Mutai Levin Langot's projected income drop and Paul Kipsigei Koech's low daily earnings and debt. The reports also mentioned the role of middlemen and corporations in absorbing profits. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the threat to the UK's supply of tea due to climate impacts on Kenyan farmers. Sky News UK and Evening Standard digests stated that Kenyan farmers who grow tea for UK supermarkets are warning that climate impacts are hitting yields and their already scarce incomes. IntelliNews digests also noted the potential for supply shortages for the UK's beloved brew. ### Right - The right-rated report's digest indicated that the UK's beloved cup of tea may be under threat, aligning with the centre-rated reports' focus on supply concerns for the UK market. No specific details about the farmers' circumstances or the causes of reduced yields were present in the digest. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [easterneye.biz](https://easterneye.biz/british-tea-prices-rising-tea-farmers-struggle) — Why British tea prices are rising while tea farmers continue to struggle - [Sky News UK](https://news.sky.com/story/why-our-nations-beloved-cup-of-tea-may-be-under-threat-13590044) — Why our nation's beloved cup of tea may be under threat - [INTELLINEWS](https://intelli.news/2026/09/21/why-our-nations-beloved-cup-of-tea-may-be-under-threat) — Why Our Nation's Beloved Cup of Tea May Be Under Threats - [khbrknews](https://khbrknews.com/why-our-nations-beloved-cup-of-tea-may-be-under-threat) — Why our nation’s beloved cup of tea may be under threat - [Great Yorkshire Radio](https://greatyorkshireradio.co.uk/uk/why-our-nations-beloved-cup-of-tea-may-be-under-threat) — Why Our Nation's Beloved Cup Of Tea May Be Under Threat - [perspectivemedia.com](https://perspectivemedia.com/climate-impacts-hitting-yields-and-already-scarce-incomes-tea-farmers-warn) — Climate impacts hitting yields and already ‘scarce’ incomes, tea farmers warn - [Evening Standard](https://standard.co.uk/news/environment/fairtrade-climate-fairtrade-foundation-b1297709.html) — Climate impacts hitting yields and already ‘scarce’ incomes, tea farmers warn - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/fairtrade-kenyan-climate-b3053274.html) — Climate impacts hitting yields and already ‘scarce’ incomes, tea farmers warn - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/climate-change/news/fairtrade-kenyan-climate-b3053274.html) — Climate impacts hitting yields and already ‘scarce’ incomes, tea farmers warn - [Belfast Telegraph](https://belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/climate-impacts-hitting-yields-and-already-scarce-incomes-tea-farmers-warn/a/161733260.html) — Climate impacts hitting yields and already ‘scarce’ incomes, tea farmers warn ## Questions **Why are Kenyan tea farmers experiencing reduced incomes?** Kenyan tea farmers are facing reduced incomes due to a combination of unpredictable climate conditions, unfair trade practices, and rising costs. These factors are leading to lower crop yields and making it harder for farmers to cover their expenses and make a profit. **What is the impact of climate change on tea production in Kenya?** Unpredictable climate conditions, including unseasonal storms and droughts, are significantly impacting tea production in Kenya. Fintea, a union of tea farming cooperatives, reported a 30% fall in production in May and June, directly linking it to these changing weather patterns. **How much debt are some Kenyan tea farmers in?** Some Kenyan tea farmers are facing significant debt. For example, Paul Kipsigei Koech reported being 80,000 Kenyan Shillings in debt, while earning less than £1 a day. Gladys Maiywa also reported being in debt for school fees. **What percentage of black tea consumed in Britain comes from Kenya?** Kenya supplies half of all the black tea consumed by Britain. This highlights the importance of the Kenyan tea industry to the UK market, and the potential impact of production issues on supply. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/climate/kenyan-tea-farmers-face-falling-incomes-amid-climate-change. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Kenyan tea farmers face falling incomes amid climate change", https://mediabias.news/climate/kenyan-tea-farmers-face-falling-incomes-amid-climate-change