Food Security: Kenya To Partner With European Union

Kenya is set to benefit through a new partnership with the European Union to bolster food production and help achieve food and nutrition security locally.

The European Union Commission has promised to enhance Kenya's agricultural productivity by assisting the government's efforts to ensure food security and by providing assistance to neighbourhood small farmers so they may increase their yields and earnings.

The EU's ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger, stated that the EU is eager to work with the ministry to improve the competitiveness and diversity of agricultural market systems and livelihoods to increase food security and incomes during discussions with Mithika Linturi, the cabinet secretary for agriculture and livestock development, at Kilimo House in Nairobi.

“Our main mission is to support the Kenyan government's plans to achieve food security. We want to take youth to the farms by empowering them through capacity building, and mechanization technology to improve food productivity,” said Geiger.

The Cabinet Secretary welcomed the new partnership with the EU Commission which he said will help the Kenyan government plan to end food insecurity.

“Our meeting to explore possible areas of partnership in the agricultural sector is crucial because it comes at a time when our government is implementing strategies to support food production,” stated Linturi.

To make Kenya a food-secure country, Linturi said the ministry is also eager to collaborate with the EU to support farmers with capacity building, technical progress, market linkages, and expanding youth engagement in agriculture, among other interventions.

“I’m excited with the pledge by the EU delegation to support the ministry achieve a food and nutrition secure Kenya through technical and financial aid to our ambitious plans to modernize and transform Agriculture as outlined by President William Ruto,” he added.  

Scholarships to teach more young people about agriculture, modernization of farming operations and a land digitization initiative are some other areas of cooperation between Kenya and the EU.

To guarantee that farmers in all 47 Counties profit from the cooperation with the EU Commission, the CS also gave the EU delegation assurances that the ministry will include all the Governors in it.

Linturi also described to the EU delegation the government's ongoing subsidy programs intended to increase farmers' access to and affordability of farm inputs as a means of achieving sustainable agricultural systems that will increase food security.

"The government has already committed a total of Sh. 19.8 billion to subsidize a total of 388,000MT of various types of fertilizer for the 2023 long spots of rain. 

"This will ensure that the targeted farmer beneficiaries access the fertilizers at subsidized prices,” said Linturi.

The delegation of 17 EU envoys also pledged to help Kenyan farmers recover from the protracted drought that caused the country to lose people and cattle.

The meetings were attended by key ministry officials including Principal Secretaries for Crops Development Harsama Kello and Livestock Development Harry Kimutai.

Kello urged the EU team to assist local farmers by offering them horticultural farming training so that their products would match the necessary international standards.

His counterpart in Livestock Development, 'PS Kimutai, urged the EU delegation to advocate for foreign investors to make investments in Kenya's agricultural sector, saying that doing so would increase job possibilities for Kenyans.

The agricultural sector is the foundation of the economy, but because of the extended drought that has reduced harvests and caused animal losses, agricultural output has stagnated in recent years in Kenya.