Kenya is set to host the second Eastern Africa Agroecology conference next week starting from 25 to 28 March at a Nairobi hotel.
The conference, themed ‘Strengthening Agri food system transformation for resilience, sustainability, and socio- economic development’ aims to harness the potential of agroecology in transforming and sustaining resilient agri-food systems.
The event organized by Biovision Africa Trust, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and over twenty partners, is leveraging on the African Union Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative.
The EOA initiative promotes sustainable organic farming systems to improve food security, agricultural productivity and livelihoods across Africa while safeguarding the environment.
Speaking during a press launch for the conference in Nairobi, the Chair, Conference Organizing Committee Dr. David Amudavi said the conference will strengthen the agroecology movement by fostering collaborations, knowledge sharing and capacity building among policy holders, farmers, researchers, development partners and investors.
“The conference provides a forum for ecosystem of organizations and initiatives to share results and experiences of how agrifood systems can contribute to healthy, equitable and resilient systems along the value chain production,” he said.
Amudavi said the conference is building on the success of the first eastern Africa agroecology conference held in 2023, titled transforming food systems for responsible production, consumption and green economy in Eastern Africa.
The chair noted that Kenya and most countries in East African region are facing severe challenges within their agriculture and food systems.
“We are not having everyone food secure. That means food insecurity is still a big issue in the region,” said Amudavi, adding we can unlock the potential of agroecology to realize productive, resilient and transformative Agri food systems.
According to statistics, Kenya has about 173,000 hectares of land that have been converted into organic farm and about 63,000 farmers, who have been certified as producers.
“Kenya is among the six top African countries within the ten that have increased their acreage of land under organic agriculture,” said Amudavi, adding that it is also among the top ten countries in Africa that has more farmers practicing organic agriculture.
He observed that the organic sector is growing and leading on examples of Agro ecological practices that we can support, thus fostering discussions on the critical role of agroecology in achieving food security and sustainability in Africa.
“If farmers involved and practicing organic farming and agroecology are well supported, they will not only increase production, but also increase the potential for incomes because they get connected to markets due to increase in appetite to consume healthy food,” he said.
Amudavi, who is also the Executive Director Biovision Africa Trust, divulged that climate change risks, food insecurity, poor food nutrition and biodiversity loss demand bold action and agroecology offers proven solutions.
“The conference discussions will focus on pathways for enhancing productivity and sustainability of agri-food systems with agroecological interventions including innovations, financial mechanisms, soil health nexus and farmer managed seed systems among others in regards to food security and nutrition,” he said.
Dr. David Kamau, a soil scientist at KALRO representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development expressed the governments support in line with the Economic pillar of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) that have prioritized agriculture as one of the five pillars of our economic recovery plan.
“The government is committed to the realization of food and nutrition security for all the citizens through increased sustainable agricultural productivity,” he said, adding that they have also been prioritizing issues to do with soil health and building resilience to climate change, which are the foundation of agroecology.
Kamau said the Ministry, through partnership and stakeholder’s engagement, has over the last three years been able to establish policies and strategies to provide a framework for sustainably transforming agriculture and food systems.
“One of the strategies, the National Agroecology Strategy for food systems transformation seeks to foster a transition to resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems through agro ecological approaches and promote sustainable consumption of healthy diets for all,” he said.
The 2nd Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference anticipates a gathering of over 700 participants, including representatives from governments, the private sector, farmers’ associations, NGOs, academia, research institutions, investors, and development partners.
The event will also bring together bio trade actors such as investors, researchers, buyers, and innovators to discuss market access, regulatory compliance and global competitiveness in the sector.
By Anita Omwenga
