KENYA STRATEGIC PLAN KENYA COUNTRY KENYA COUNTRY 2014 - 2016 STRATEGIC PLAN STRATEGIC PLAN KENYA COUNTRY KENYA COUNTRY STRATEGIC PLAN STRATEGIC PLAN We want a Kenya that can feed itself, the world, and give jobs to its citizens Kilimo Bora - Kenya Vision 2030 Farm Africa has a rich and KENYA CONTEXT STRATEGIC GOALS We recognise that increasing agricultural income successful history in Kenya after on a sustainable basis requires a focus not only n The largest and most advanced economy in By 2016: on production, but also on linkages to profitable starting our first project here 27 East Africa n 150,000 smallholders each year will increase markets and the development of alternative years ago in 1987. n Low income country – 46% poverty and 30.4% their incomes by developing enterprises and business models that enable buyers to access undernourishment market relationships crops competitively from large numbers of small- scale producers. n n 150,000 smallholders each year will be Since then, we have built an High levels of inequality with rural and low-income families most disadvantaged implementing sustainable agricultural practices in crops, livestock and forestry, Our strategic focus will be on the implementation enviable reputation with farmers, n The heavy dependence on agriculture increasing their resilience to climate change of innovative farming models; value chain governments and the private sector increases vulnerability to climate change n 100,000 women and youths from smallholder additions for local and national level markets; n as a trusted partner for change, The business environment is open and the communities will be directly supported in expansion of access to markets; nurturing of developing agriculturally sound private sector eager to engage. agricultural enterprise development rural enterprise, and the wide-scale adoption of integrated natural resource management models that work for smallholder n Two development models that deliver techniques. farming communities. Smallholders INCREASED CHALLENGES sustainable change will be taken to scale. We are committed to ensuring that all of our control the productive land and are By 2050: projects continue to deliver benefits for many the key to economic development, n Changes in temperature and rainfall will STRATEGIC APPROACH years following our initial support by developing so our expertise in smallholder shorten the growing period by 20% robust, commercially-viable businesses and n Maize production could decline by 50% – 55% Farm Africa believes that Kenya has the potential incorporating natural resource management commercialisation is increasingly to significantly increase agricultural outputs, training and procedures into all of our work. relevant. n High food prices will dampen demand and household incomes and deliver long-term drive malnutrition resilience and sustainability. n Livestock will become more important as crop farming becomes less viable. OUR FOCUS AREAS CROPS LIVESTOCK are showing early signs of success in MAENDELEO AGRICULTURAL receive less than 10% of all credit going technologies, particularly internet-based Poor quality inputs, inadequate extension Livestock is important both at farmer Western Kenya. The shops are privately ENTERPRISE FUND to small farmers, and have access to only farming information systems. services and over-reliance on rain-fed and national level. Most, if not all, rural owned by Kenyan entrepreneurs and Many smallholders are not benefiting fully 5% of the resources provided through agriculture have meant that Kenyan households keep livestock for food security. support approximately 300 fish farmers from their primary source of livelihood, yet, agricultural extension services. RESILIENCE AND NATURAL agriculture has been underperforming Livestock accounts for 43% of Kenya’s each. The next stage of this project will at the same time, private sector companies RESOURCE MANAGEMENT for many years. However, there is great agricultural GDP and provides employment establish business models that will create are struggling to adapt their own business Our programmatic work will include a Farm Africa has exceptional experience potential for staple crops, such as sorghum for 50% of the total agriculture labour real and lasting change for fish farmers models to source from, or supply to, large deliberate focus on supporting women in community-led natural resource and green grams, to become cash-crops force. However, the livestock sector is not in Kenya. We will continue to work with numbers of dispersed smallholders. farmers. By 2016, women farmers management. We will focus our efforts for the domestic, regional and international currently meeting its potential. the Department of Fisheries to support will account for 50% of our direct in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) markets. fisheries policy, regulatory frameworks We know that small and medium sized beneficiaries and we will consciously to help Kenyan farmers and pastoralists Farm Africa has considerable livestock and standards. businesses based in rural areas are well implement interventions that enhance increase their capacity to withstand climate Farm Africa will apply the best technical expertise, particularly with goats and positioned to do this, but they struggle to women farmers’ skillsets and support shocks. and market advice to help smallholder indigenous poultry, and will focus on small FORESTRY access investment capital as their size them in starting agro-enterprises and in farmers select the most appropriate livestock as priority value chains. We will Whilst Farm Africa’s core institutional means that transaction costs are too high negotiations with the private sector. We see income generation as the primary crops for the ecological zones as well as support farmers with the best technical strengths and expertise in Kenya lie for existing venture capital funders. means to increase resilience. Specifically, to diversify more efficiently and access and market advice on stock and improved within the crops and livestock sectors, it is YOUTH in our crops programmes we will adopt markets more effectively. For example, production techniques. Through building important to note that at the global level Farm Africa is launching a basket fund An incredible 71% of the total population climate-smart agriculture methodologies we will exploit large industrial needs for partnerships with the private sector, we Farm Africa has world-class expertise for small scale agricultural enterprise of Kenya is below the age of 30. Young such as water conservation, soil fertility, agricultural products (eg sorghum for will ensure sustainable markets for our in the forestry sector, particularly in development that aims to fill this gap people see agriculture as the preserve of and drought-tolerant seeds; whilst in our East Africa Breweries) and will increase farmers’ produce. Participatory Forest Management in in business finance. The fund will scale the elderly and the uneducated and are livestock work, we will raise awareness farmers’ capacity to meet export standards Ethiopia and Tanzania. Farm Africa in up assistance to many thousands of increasingly migrating to urban centres of the damage caused by poor livestock and access high-value export markets. FISH Kenya will explore opportunities to develop smallholder farmers through direct in search of white-collar employment and management, and will apply best practice The fish sector is making an increasing a forestry programme, taking replicable support for rural-based small businesses enterprise opportunities. regarding grazing management and the We will encourage innovative farming contribution to GDP. Aquaculture lessons and approaches from the other and builds on ten years of successful environmental impact of different types of methods including crop diversification and production in Kenya has risen over 500% in country programmes, and implement experience in implementing a technology Farm Africa will incorporate initiatives for stock animals. rotation, whilst promoting postharvest the last four years. projects in this area in the next three years. fund. youth wherever possible and by creating systems and small-scale water Initial potential has been identified in tree commercial opportunities (eg in processing management and irrigation technologies, Farm Africa has piloted ‘Aqua Shops’, a crop integration into farming landscapes, WOMEN and value addition) will inspire them about all aimed at increasing yields, reducing new and exciting idea in the aquaculture sustainable charcoal production, and Women make up over 50% of the the benefits that agriculture can offer. We postharvest losses and generating income. industry. These one-stop shops for all Participatory Forest Management in the agricultural labour force in East Africa and will provide training in agro-enterprises services and equipment for aquaculture Marsabit Mountain watershed. grow over 80% of the food. However, they and innovative farming methods using new Front cover: A farmer with her green grams crop, grown with climate-resilient techniques, in Kitui, Kenya Photo: Farm Africa OUR VISION A prosperous rural Africa OUR MISSION We reduce poverty permanently by unleashing African farmers’ abilities to grow their incomes and manage their natural resources sustainably OUR ROLE We have a unique role as proven technical experts at the intersection of two fundamental and interlinked challenges for African farmers: n Generating sustainable income streams that move them out of poverty by