Kenya produces only Arabica coffee, mainly from the Bourbon and Kent varieties (traditional

SL28 / 34 and K7) but increasingly also from a recently developed hybrid R11 and the very newest variety, Batian. Research into new higher yielding, disease resistant, excellent cupping varieties is continuous at the well-established Coffee Research Foundation premises near Nairobi. The production area lies between 1,200 and 1,800 meters above sea level, mainly in the hilly and fertile center of the country. Mt. Kenya, which at 5,200 meters is the second highest peak on the continent, dominates the coffee landscape and remains a sacred place for the Kikuyu tribe living on its slopes and environs. Smallholders, who account for at least 60% of total production and the majority of top qualities, are organized into cooperatives, each with one or more wet mills, or ‘factories’. The strong social structure built around these factories provides for vibrant rural coffee communities where generations of farmers uphold traditional values and practices.