Despite increasing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards by investors and regulators, significant gaps persist between corporate sustainability claims and the realities faced by workers in Kenya’s vital agribusiness sector.

• Reports indicate that workers in the coffee sector, for example, earn as little as KES 200 per day, with irregular wage payments being common.
• Key companies like Kakuzi PLC and Del Monte Kenya highlight their ESG initiatives, yet independent assessments reveal these do not always translate to improved worker conditions.
• Smallholder tea farmers face economic pressures where production costs exceed market prices, amplifying human rights risks, and union advocacy groups like the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) are raising concerns about labor outsourcing.