NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 27 – Agriculture stakeholders have renewed calls for the swift implementation of Kenya’s National Agroecology Strategy for Food Systems Transformation (NAS-FST), describing it as a critical blueprint for building resilient, sustainable and climate-smart food systems. The stakeholders, drawn from the national and county governments, civil society organisations, research and higher learning institutions, farmers, scientists and agricultural innovators, said moving the strategy from policy to implementation is essential to improving food security, restoring degraded soils and helping farmers adapt to climate change. The resolutions were adopted during the 3rd National Agroecology Symposium Kenya, held at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi.
The symposium was organised by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Kenya in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Participants described agroecology as an environmentally sustainable and regenerative farming approach capable of restoring soil fertility, improving biodiversity and increasing agricultural resilience. They urged the government to expedite implementation of the strategy across all levels of government, saying agroecological farming offers long-term solutions to the effects of climate change while helping rehabilitate acidic and degraded soils.
The stakeholders noted that promoting sustainable farming practices will reduce dependence on costly synthetic inputs while improving agricultural productivity and environmental conservation. Delegates agreed that successful implementation of the National Agroecology Strategy will require stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, research institutions, farmers and the private sector. They also called for increased budgetary allocations to support implementation of the policy, arguing that adequate financing is necessary to translate the strategy into tangible benefits for farmers and consumers.
The stakeholders further stressed the need to empower smallholder farmers through access to climate-smart farming practices, farmer training and extension services, quality and locally adapted seeds. The stakeholders said these interventions will be critical in ensuring the strategy delivers measurable improvements in food production, environmental conservation and rur… In a 10-point call to action presented by PELUM Kenya Country Coordinator Rosinah Mbeny…
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