Kisumu: 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, named '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.
According to Kenya News Agency, the project was officially launched in Kisumu County, where Cooperatives Principal Secretary (PS) Patrick Kilemi emphasized the focus on six priority value chains, including dairy, poultry, coffee, tea, fruit trees, and African leafy vegetables. The initiative targets to support 140,000 farmers, including 80,000 cooperative members and 63,000 farmers' groups, with the aim of building climate resilience and driving 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 aligns with the government's plan to scale up food security while achieving low carbon emissions.
PS Kilemi highlighted 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 initiative seeks to secure farmers' livelihoods while reducing environmental impact. The State Department for Cooperatives plays a central role in the project as an enabler of the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), emphasizing the importance of cooperatives in transforming the lives of farmers.
Dairy and coffee value chains, which form a significant part of the cooperative movement, involve millions of farmers who benefit directly and indirectly. Kilemi urged the leadership of the counties where the project is being implemented, including Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet, Nandi, Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, and Trans Nzoia, to rally farmers to join the cooperative movement to maximize benefits. The cooperatives are expected to ensure knowledge transfer and sustainability of these interventions beyond the project's duration.
FAO Country Representative Dr. Nyabenyi Tipo stated that besides boosting food security, the project will help address financial gaps in total climate change mitigation and adaptation expenditure in the country. She noted that smallholder farmers and producer cooperatives have been worst hit by climate change impacts, and through the initiative, they stand to play a crucial role in mitigating the effects of this phenomenon. Strengthened cooperatives and farmers' organizations are seen as essential in addressing climate change in Kenya's agricultural and environmental sectors, enabling collective action and effective advocacy for climate policies.
The project's implementation will focus on sustainable intensification, diversification, youth engagement, and strengthened cooperatives and farmers' organizations. Sustainable intensification aims to increase food production on existing agricultural land while minimizing environmental impacts. The initiative is expected to create job opportunities, stimulate economic growth, and empower young people to facilitate knowledge and skills transfer between generations, combining traditional practices with modern approaches to effectively tackle climate-related challenges in agriculture.
LREB Vice Chairman Kenneth Lusaka described the project as a bold step towards ensuring food security and economic stability for millions of farmers in the region. Lusaka, who is also the Governor for Bungoma County, stated that LREB is committed to driving sustainable agriculture to attract investments and position the region as a leader in climate-smart farming by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), precision agriculture, and climate risk analytics to optimize resources and enhance food security.