NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 20 — Kenyan farmers are set to benefit from Germany’s funding on agricultural sector transformation, aimed at boosting food and nutrition security in the country.
The deal was inked following a meeting between Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and his German counterpart German officials during the ongoing 2023 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, Germany.
CS Linturi said the funding is in line with Kenya government’s strategy on transforming agriculture through increasing small-scale farming, pastoralist and fisherfolk incomes , increasing agricultural output and value addition.
The CS hailed the German government for its continued support to various agricultural programmes in the country through the Germany Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), which he attributed to the positive impact in the agricultural sector.
“Over the years, the programmes and projects under GIZ Agriculture and Rural Development have continued to play a key role in contributing towards actualization of achieving Food and Nutrition Security and improved livelihoods in Kenya,’’ Linturi stated.
At the same time CS Linturi appealed to the Germany Government to consider supporting a comprehensive National Agricultural Soil Management upon approval of the Agriculture Soil Management policy.
On his part the Head of GIZ Agriculture and rural development division Cristel Well assured that GIZ will continue to support Kenya by helping to implement drought resilience measures for improved productivity.
“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 over the years continued to fund projects and programmes in the framework of bilateral Kenyan-German Development Cooperation especially in Agriculture and Rural development, Climate change, Health and Water, Water Resource Management and Sanitation.
Among them is the provision of resources used for the development of the Agricultural Soil Management Policy that is set to be tabled before the Cabinet in February, 2023, youth employment in the Agri-food (YEA), Agri-Jobs 4 Youth Initiative, Green Innovation centres for agriculture and food sector, soil protection and rehabilitation for food security and nutrition-sensitive Potato
Partnership Project.
Others are Coffee Innovation Fund, Global Low Carbon Tea- Triangular Cooperation between China, Germany and Kenya on Tea Value Chain in Kenya, Green Innovation Centres (GIAE) for the Agriculture and
Food Sector, Water and Energy for Food.
The 2023 GFFA is set to build on the UN Food Systems Summit to ensure the 2030 SDGs are realized.
The forum is focused on four thematic areas of; how to create crisis-proof food systems, how to create climate-friendly food systems, how to preserve biological diversity and how to improve collaboration for sustainable global food systems.
