Kenya Focuses on Fighting Climate Crisis
By Khalifa Hemed
Published May 17, 2023
Kenya, one of the countries most affected by the climate crisis, has set its sights on fighting climate change and food insecurity.
This has been revealed in a meeting with William Ruto, Kenya’s President, with Alvaro Lario, President of United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), during his first official visit to Kenya.
While drought has caused crop failure, flash floods have caused loss of life and displaced hundreds of people and an estimated 5.4 million people in Kenya suffer from hunger.
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“By investing in small-scale farmers today, we can contribute to a better future tomorrow,” said Alvaro Lario, IFAD President.
Small-scale farmers produce 75 per cent of Kenya’s food with only two per cent of agricultural land under irrigation. Following five consecutive failed rainy seasons, IFAD, the Government of Kenya and various development partners are working together to reduce food insecurity, improve natural resource management, and provide access to financial services for small-scale farmers, as well as access to climate smart technologies, digital services and markets across the agricultural value chain.
Agriculture plays a critical role in Kenya’s economy, contributing 26 per cent to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employing 40 per cent of the total population and 70 per cent of the rural population.
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During his visit, Lario travelled to Embu in eastern Kenya to see first-hand how IFAD’s support is helping communities in the area contribute to Kenya’s 15 billion tree campaign and transform rural livelihoods.