The government, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), has launched a Sh6.4 billion initiative to revolutionize agriculture in the Lake Region.
The six-year project, dubbed “Transforming Livelihoods through Climate-Resilient, Low-Carbon, Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in the Lake Region Economic Bloc,” targets 14 counties and aims to boost food security, empower smallholder farmers, and promote climate-smart agriculture.
Speaking during the launch in Kisumu County, the Cooperatives Principal Secretary (PS) stated that the project will focus on six priority value chains, including dairy, poultry, coffee, tea, fruit trees, and African leafy vegetables.
With a target of supporting 140,000 farmers, including 80,000 cooperative members and 63,000 farmers’ groups, the initiative aims to build climate resilience and drive the agricultural sector towards a low-carbon, sustainable future.
The project has been designed to strengthen access to climate-smart agricultural information and services, restore degraded agricultural landscapes, and increase smallholder climate resilience by promoting low-carbon technologies that improve yields while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This initiative aligns with the government’s plan to scale up food security while achieving low carbon emissions. The PS emphasized that the project is not only about mitigating climate change effects but also about transforming agriculture into a profitable and sustainable venture.
By increasing yields and lowering input costs, the project aims to secure farmers’ livelihoods while reducing environmental impact. The State Department for Cooperatives is central to the project, acting as an enabler of the pillars of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and highlighting the importance of cooperatives in transforming the lives of farmers.
Dairy and coffee value chains, which are part of the project, play a significant role in the cooperative movement, benefiting millions of farmers directly and indirectly. The leadership of the 14 counties where the project is being implemented has been urged to rally farmers to join cooperatives to maximize their benefits.
The cooperatives will facilitate knowledge transfer and ensure the sustainability of these interventions beyond the project’s duration.
In addition to boosting food security, the project aims to address severe financial gaps in climate change mitigation and adaptation expenditure in the country. Smallholder farmers and producer cooperatives, being among the most affected by climate change, will play a crucial role in mitigating its effects.
Strengthened cooperatives and farmers’ organizations are key in addressing climate change in Kenya’s agricultural and environmental sectors, enabling collective action, resource pooling, knowledge sharing, and advocacy for climate policies.
Implementation will focus on sustainable intensification, diversification, youth engagement, and strengthening cooperatives and farmers’ organizations. Sustainable intensification is essential for addressing climate change by increasing food production on existing agricultural land while minimizing environmental impacts.
The initiative will create job opportunities, stimulate economic growth, and contribute to poverty alleviation and food security. Additionally, young people will be empowered to facilitate knowledge and skills transfer between generations, combining traditional practices with modern approaches to effectively tackle climate-related challenges in agriculture.
The project is a significant step toward ensuring food security and economic stability for millions of farmers in the region. By leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), precision agriculture, and climate risk analytics, resources can be optimized, and food security can be enhanced.
The commitment to driving sustainable agriculture is expected to attract investments and position the region as a leader in climate-smart farming.
