A new book that provides a roadmap for food systems transformation in Kenya has been launched in Nairobi, Kenya.The book seeks to tackle challenges facing kenyan farmers in a bid to address food security.
The past few years have seen Kenya, along with many other countries, confronted with multifaceted and compounding challenges affecting its food system. The disruptions caused by COVID-19, high levels of food price inflation and environmental crises such as locust infestations and droughts, have severely tested the resilience of Kenya’s food system and the affordability of food for its citizens.
The new IFPRI book Food Systems Transformation in Kenya,Lessons from the Past and Policy Options for the Future aims to respond to this imperative by bringing together a wealth of empirical research on various aspects of Kenya’s food system and offering a comprehensive overview of its historical trajectory and possibilities for future evolution.
The book edited by Clemens Breisinger, Michael Keenan, Juneweenex Mbuthia, and Jemimah Njuki was launched today during a hybrid event co-organized by IFPRI, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), and the CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies at the ILRI Nairobi campus and online.
In a statement read on behalf of Hon. Mithika Linturi, Cabinet Secretary, Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, noted in the foreword of the book, “We look forward to the Ministry’s continued collaboration with IFPRI, CGIAR, and other partners in creating research-based policy recommendations that will lead to a brighter, healthier future for all Kenyans.”
The book provides a comprehensive overview of the Kenya's food system, focusing on:
The current state and drivers of transformation, in particular the country’s livestock sector and projections for its future.
The book provides a comprehensive overview of the Kenya's food system, focusing on the current state and drivers of transformation, in particular the country’s livestock sector and projections for its future.
According to the lead editor of the book,The Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) prioritizes food systems, and this book offers actionable strategies aligned with the national goals. Mobilizing funding for food systems transformation is critical as is strengthening of the science-policy interface to help Kenya meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Despite the important role of the agri-food sector in Kenya’s economy, public expenditure in it remains low, hindering effective policy implementation.
The book will serve as a guiding compass, offering a thorough exploration of the country's food systems and presenting actionable recommendations to support positive change.
A free e-version of the book can be downloaded on the IFPRI website; print-on-demand hard copies can be ordered via Amazon.
