Heinrich Böll Foundation, Nairobi’s Post

Agriculture is devolved in #Kenya. In many ways, this set counties as frontiers of determining how #agriculture policy and development is shaped. At the heart of any such policies should be #farmers and consumers. In Kajiado County, with the facilitation of the Route to Food , an initiative of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Nairobi the farmers are taking bold steps in demanding for a different type of agriculture & food production. Farmers and consumers are approaching the county government asking for an end to toxic production of food. They have for instance asked the Kajiado County government to condem the use & trade through regulations of any pesticide element classified as a Highly Harzadous Pesticide (HHPs) and which have received condemnation in Europe. In counties like Nakuru & Kiambu, the demand for organic inputs such organic fertiliser and seeds is on, ensuring that there is fairness to the organic farmer who hardly receives any input support from government. Can counties do it? Yes because the forth schedule of the Kenyan constitution in devolving agriculture including the control of pest and diseases envisions counties to positively shape their destiny through sound agroecology practices & policies. Counties must be bold, intentional and futuristic. The farmers are asking that any farm production bills, regulations etc must promote the principles of #agroecology. That would be inline with the constitution duty to enure that citizens have the highest possible standards of life, even on matters food rights. And with the recently launched national agroecology policy, counties have a framework from which to start from and even further stretch their agri imagination, protecting the agri biodiversity and the soil resource that is greatly damaged by years of building wrong. To the farmers, they must sustain the creation of policy and practice demand for agroecology mainstreaming at the counties. One county a time and the #agroecology fever will soon have caught the whole country leading to an immunity against the perils of conventional agriculture. A call for stakeholders to be more strategic in advancing the movement. (Ps. The agriculture committee of the Kajiado County Government visitied Kimana ward to access the extent of the HHPs prevelance in crop production. This was as a result of farmers petition on the same.) Route to Food Harun Warui, PhD Christine Gatwiri Sylvia Kuria 🇰🇪