- Linturi has also hailed Kenya’s relations with Germany since independence in 1963.
- This was in connection with the aid from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) which he said has led to a positive impact in the agricultural sector.
Image: HANDOUT
Kenyan farmers are set to benefit from Germany’s funding aimed at transforming the agricultural sector in a bid to boost food and nutrition security locally.
This is after Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi revealed that the German government has committed to funding the Kenyan Government’s Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS).
Speaking in Berlin, Germany where he’s leading the Kenyan delegation in the ongoing 2023 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), Linturi expressed optimism that Kenyan farmers will gain a lot from the deal that will target small-scale farmers from rural parts of the country.
The Cabinet Secretary has said the government strategy prioritizes three anchors to drive the ten-year transformation which includes; increasing small-scale farmer, pastoralist and fisher folk incomes, increasing agricultural output and value addition and boosting household food resilience.
‘‘The broad objective of these programmes is to enhance food security and drought resilience, increase incomes, employment creation as well as women and youth empowerment,’’ said Linturi.
Linturi has also hailed Kenya’s relations with Germany since independence in 1963.
This was in connection with the aid from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) which he said has led to a 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 the actualization of achieving Food and Nutrition Security and improved livelihoods in Kenya,’’ Linturi stated.
He stated that Kenya’s partnership with Germany is aimed at accelerating the attainment of SDGs from a local perspective, innovative ways of tackling climate crisis and biodiversity losses, increasing resources for agriculture programs, increasing farmer productivity and food systems transformations agenda.
The Cabinet Secretary has however appealed to the Germany Government to consider supporting a comprehensive National Agricultural Soil Management upon approval of the Agriculture Soil Management Policy.
“There has been a smooth implementation of the GIZ programs and we highly appreciate the cordial diplomatic relations and close partnership between Kenya and Germany over the years. We appreciate the good gesture and we’ll also seek for support to implement the National Agricultural Soil Management policy in order to manage our soil,” Linturi requested the German Government.
The meeting was also attended by the German state secretary for the ministry of economic and development cooperation, Dr Barbel Koflrr, Head of GIZ division Agriculture and Rural Development, Cristel Weller-Molongua, the Chairperson parliamentary committee on food and Agriculture in Germany, Hermann Farber, the President of German-Africa Foundation, Dr Uschi Eid, Programme Director GIZ Kenya, Armin Kloeckner among others.
Weller assured Linturi 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.
On his part, Farber stated that a shared knowledge programme for youth between the two countries, will give the Kenyan youth employment and encourage them to practice agriculture.
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.
Linturi further outlined the ongoing agricultural programmes that have been funded and supported by the German government and GIZ, which he said will help Kenya achieve food and nutrition security by 2030.
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, and 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; 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.