Food Security: Germany To Support Kenyan Farmers

Kenyan farmers are set to benefit from Germany’s funding for agricultural sector transformation aimed at boosting food and nutrition security in the country.

The agreement was reached when Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi met with German authorities at the current 2023 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, Germany.

According to CS Linturi, the investment is consistent with the Kenyan government's objective to reform agriculture by enhancing small-scale farming, pastoralist and fisherfolk incomes, and agricultural output and value addition.

The CS praised the German government for its ongoing assistance to different agricultural programs in the country via the Germany Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), which he ascribed to the agriculture sector's good effect.

"Over the years, the programmes and projects under GIZ Agriculture and Rural Development have continued to play a key role in contributing towards the actualisation of achieving Food and Nutrition Security and improved livelihoods in Kenya,’’ Linturi stated. 

Simultaneously, CS Linturi urged the German government to consider adopting a comprehensive National Agricultural Soil Management policy following the ratification of the Agriculture Soil Management policy.

Cristel Well, Head of GIZ Agriculture and Rural Development Division, emphasised that GIZ will continue to support Kenya by assisting in the implementation of drought resilience measures for increased production.

"We want to help transform agriculture in Kenya through our agency to ensure rural women are empowered since they are the backbone of rural farming,” Weller indicated. 

Germany has maintained support projects and programs through bilateral Kenyan-German Development Cooperation, particularly in Agriculture and Rural Development, Climate Change, Health and Water, Water Resource Management, and Sanitation.

Among them are the allocation of resources for the development of the Agricultural Soil Management Policy, which is scheduled to be presented to the Cabinet in February 2023.

Youth employment in agriculture (YEA), the Agri-Jobs 4 Youth Initiative, Green Innovation centres for the agriculture and food sector, soil protection and rehabilitation for food security, and the nutrition-sensitive Potato Partnership Project are all-inclusive. 

Coffee Innovation Fund, Global Low Carbon Tea-Triangular Cooperation between China, Germany, and Kenya on the Tea Value Chain in Kenya, Green Innovation Centres (GIAE) for the Agriculture and Food Sector, and Water and Energy for Food are among the others.

The 2023 GFFA will build on the UN Food Systems Summit to guarantee that the 2030 SDGs are met.

The event will focus on four themes: how to construct crisis-resistant food systems, how to create climate-friendly food systems, how to conserve biological variety, and how to increase collaboration for sustainable global food systems.