Forest and Farm Facility Baseline Study Report for Laikipia County Contracting Agency: Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Report Developed By: Joseph Muriithi Gitonga May 2015 i TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... v 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 General Background Information .................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 Location and Administrative Units of Laikipia County ......................................................... 2 1.1.2 Topography and Bio-Physical Features of Laikipia County ............................................... 2 1.1.3 Climatic and Rainfall Patterns of Laikipia County ............................................................... 3 1.1.4 Population and Demography of Laikipia County ................................................................. 4 1.1.5 Geology, Soils and Agro Ecological Zones .......................................................................... 4 1.1. 6 Land Tenure, Land Use and Forestry and Farm Related Activities in Laikipia County .................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Opportunities and Challenges to Forest and Farm Production ................................................ 6 1.2.1 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................. 6 1.2.2 Challenges ................................................................................................................................. 8 1.3 Objectives of the Baseline Study .................................................................................................. 9 1.4 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.5 Definitions ....................................................................................................................................... 10 2.0 TYPOLOGY OF FOREST AND FARM PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS ................................ 11 3.0 KEY INFORMATION ON FOREST AND FARM PRODUCER ORGANISATION WITHIN LAIKIPIA .................................................................................................................................................... 17 4.0 KEY SUPPORTING AGENCIES FOR SERVICE PROVISION TO FOREST FARM PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS............................................................................................................ 29 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................................... 32 ANNEX ONE: MAP OF LAIKIPIA COUNTY ........................................................................................ 33 ANNEX TWO: LAIKIPIA COUNTY LAND USE MAP ......................................................................... 34 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Sub Counties of Laikipia County and Area of Coverage ...................................................... 2 Table 2: Agro Ecological Zones of Laikipia County .............................................................................. 5 Table 3: Classification of Producers Organizations in Laikipia County ........................................... 13 Table 4: Key Information on Selected Producer Organizations ........................................................ 17 Table 5: Supporting Agencies ................................................................................................................ 29 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ii The Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) is a multi donor programme hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Since it was launched, the programme implementation had been ongoing in six pilot countries where four additional countries were admitted in 2014 Kenya being one of them. In Kenya, the programme is being piloted in two counties namely Laikipia and Nakuru. Laikipia County is one of the 14 counties within the Rift valley region and one of the 47 counties in Kenya. The County is semi arid receiving a mean annual rainfall of between 400mm-750mm. The main land uses include small scale agro pastoralism, sedentary and semi nomadic pastoralism, ranching and large scale farming. In relation to forestry, the county has a forest cover of 6.2% with six gazette forests covering 580Km2. Agro-forestry is also practiced especially in the high and middle potential parts of the county. This baseline study was undertaken in Laikipia County. It aimed at developing an inventory and status of the forest and farm producer organizations in the County as well as providing specific baseline information of selected producer organizations. Methodology applied for this exercise was mainly qualitative where both primary and secondary sources of data were referred to. This baseline established that the forest and farm producer organizations in Laikipia County were organized into six major categories. These categories include (i) Local NGOs, Trusts, Networks and Foundations, (ii) Water Resources Users Associations (WRUAs), (iii) Community Forest Associations (CFAs), (iv) Common Interest Groups and Self Help Groups, (v) Producer cooperatives and (vi) Ranches. In terms of providing specific details for selected forest and farm producer organizations, it provides details that include: name of the organization, contacts, date and status of registration, key functions, nature of business or project being undertaken, existence of business plans or strategic plans, source of funds and the challenges faced iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge the support given by the FAO FFF coordinator Mr. Philip Kisoyan during the undertaking of this baseline survey. I’m so much indebted to the National and County officers consulted during this exercise especially officers from the KFS, Department of Agriculture and Department of Cooperative Development; your help was very instrumental in shaping out the outcome of this study. To all officers and members of the organizations consulted either through face to face or telephone interviews, receive my appreciation. Lastly to all who contributed, in one way or the other, in ensuring the successes of the socio- economic exercise kindly accept my gratitude. Joseph Gitonga Consultant iv LIST OF ACRONYMS AG Attorney General ASAL Arid and Semi Arid Lands ASDSP Agricultural Sector Development Support Programme CBO Community Based Organization CDTF Community Development Trust Fund CECM County Executive Committee Member CEF Community Environment Facility CERA-Rights Centre for Research and Advocacy in Human Rights CETRAD Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development CFA Community Forest Association CO Chief Officer DFID Department for International Development DFID Department for International Development ENNDA Ewaso Nyiro North Development Authority FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FFF Forest and Farm Facility FFF-SPAK Farm Forestry-Small Producer association of Kenya IIED International Institute for Environment and Development IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature KFS Kenya Forest Service KNBS Kenya National Bureau of Statistics LAFONET Laikipia Forest Network LAICCODO Laikipia Central Community Development Organization LAICONAR Laikipia County natural Resources Network LWF Laikipia Wildlife Forum NDMA National Drought Management Authority NGO Nongovernmental Organization NRM Natural Resources Management PFMP Participatory Forest Management Plan SCMP Sub catchment Management Plan SHG Self Help Group SID Society for International Development TILT Tree is Life Trust TIST The International Small Group Tree Planting Programme UEN-WRUA Upper Ewaso Narok Water Resources Users Association UN United Nations WDC Water Development Cycle WRMA Water Resources Management Authority WRUA Water Resources Users Association WSTF Water Services Trust Fund v 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 General Background Information Agricultural land use and management presents major development challenges to many developing countries especially in the sub Saharan Africa. The area under cultivation has expanded notably and there is conversion from fallow based cropping systems to continuous cultivation. However, the per capita food production had been on the decline. Environmental problems associated with agricultural production cannot be ignored as they have direct impact on the smallholders’ livelihoods and incomes. Agro-forestry, which is defined as a dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management system that diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land uses at all levels, could be applied to help solve some of these problems.1 Forests provide a starting-point for rotational agriculture and protection. On-farm trees also provide shade, windbreaks and contour vegetation. Trees/forests also provide