GROWING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ORGANIC VALUE CHAIN

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This article appeared in AFRONET ISSUE NO 3 JANUARY TO JUNE 2020

 

Organic agriculture has the potential to generate significant incomes for households, thus potentially uplifting smallholder-farming households from poverty cycles and food/nutrition insecurity. Through various interventions, the number or farmer and land under organic cultivation has been constantly growing in Kenya. With land under organic cultivation increasing from 4,894 hectares in 2016 [1] to 172, 225 hectares under organic in 2019[2], the writing on the wall is clear, organic is the future of sustainable farming.

The commercial appeal of organic farming has led to a rising number of entrepreneurs eager to rake in the money, caution should be exercised, organic farming should not be viewed as a purely commercial interest, in fact most successful organic farmers started off as subsistence farmers growing only for their own consumption. Through initial struggles to get their processes and practices right, they eventually saw the business opportunity in supplying others with such products. They were able to persevere through the initial disappointments and change in mind-set required to transition into organic. They were able to understand their own farms and create harmonious balance. Any seasoned organic farmer will tell you, no two farms are alike; each has its own set of challenges and character, much like human beings.

[1]FIBl and IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture, The World of Organic Agriculture, 2016 <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849775991>. [2] FiBL and IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture, ed. by Helga Willer and Julia Lernoud, The World of Organic Agriculture Statistic and Emerging Trends 2019, 2019 <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849775991>.

For the few out of the many who successfully convert to organic production systems, commercialization of their agribusiness endeavors, pose considerable challenges. Without formal organic market access, most farmers are resigned to selling their produce to undifferentiated conventional markets, where premiums for organic produce are lost. Many organic farmer actually regress back to conventional farming habits due to lack of market access.

This is a paradox, many retailers would like to have organic produce as part of their grocery portfolio, but find it hard to source. The needs is there but there is a mismatch in capacity to fulfill those needs. On closer observation of the problem, the following is clear.

  1. Retailers are looking for organic produce to sell, the produce has to be of specific quality standards, and not just anything will go. The visual appeal has to be of equal or greater quality than conventional produce. They will be competing for the consumers’ attention and nobody wants to pay a premium for poor quality products. Yes, consumers can be fickle, even organic consumers.
  2. Consistent supply capacity has to be proven before a retailer takes the risk of opening up a new line of organic products. For retailers, especially big supermarkets, a new product line is a big investment. It involves the physical set up, the capacity building of staff ( all staff need to be sensitized on what is organic, nothing puts off a consumer faster than retail staff who don’t know what they are talking about), the branding and marketing. Going organic is as much a strategic choice for retailers as is the physical positioning of beverages and snack items. They are always looking for crowd pullers and with the increasing focus on healthy foods and lifestyles, organic food is high on the consumer and health totem pole. Therefore, a retailer requires assurances that the line of business is sustainable, in the retail business empty shelves drive away customers.
  3. Farmers may not necessarily have the requisite skills sets to meet retailers’ demands. Quantities of particular produce maybe available during certain seasons and then they disappear when the product is out of season. Same with quality, it is easy to have high quality produce in the beginning of the season, but maintaining such standards consistently may prove too much for unseasoned farmers.

 

Therefore, a stalemate of sorts persists, the farmers have the produce in plenty, but the retailers cannot take it and will not take it. Nobody gains anything and the masses are denied access to safe food.

 

Well, the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) has been working on the problem for a number of years. Attempting to bridge this market-supply gap. Through trial and error several things have been established but not limited to,

1) It is not enough to introduce farmers to retailers and vice versa, there has to be some added capacity for the farmers to be able to reach the quality standards of the retailers. Here issues of marketing and branding emerge. Gone are the days when just saying something is organic will sell. Consumers are looking for branded merchandise, something they can trace back to the source.

2) Retailers need assurance of regular and consistent supply. Farmers cannot operate as individuals; marketing collectives need to be established, farmers need to take control of the process.

3) It is not enough to have a marketing collective; a planting calendar needs to be established. To ensure consistency and reduce internal competition a system for growing what and when needs to be developed. This system needs to take into consideration what the market wants and in what volumes.

4) The prevailing agroecological conditions need to be observed, what can be grown with least effort should be grown, farmers need to avoid problem crops (pests and diseases, access to quality seed, etc.). Farming is an enterprise, if the costs of growing particular crops outweigh the market prices and leave little margins for profit, then they cease to be viable and should be abandoned until prevailing conditions change.

All viable lessons. KOAN’s latest attempt at streamlining the organic supply chain in Kenya currently involves farmers from Machakos and Murang’a counties. Murang’a supplies most of the vegetables while Machakos supplies the fruits creating a healthy balance. The project supported by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) started in 2018 with 90 farmers, 45 from each county with 3 retailers interested. This number has since grown to 200 farmers and 6 retailers.

With the experience gained from previous attempts, KOAN first selected entrepreneurial and market ready farmers. The farmers were taken through the usual capacity building sessions with particular emphasis on managing expectations as well as conveying the importance of professional conduct in approaching business. Retailers were also involved in order to eliminate any casualness, the gravity of the whole system needed to be appreciated. This was not business as usual and everybody on board got the message. Initial meetings were organized between farmers and retailers. This was mainly to get the farmers to grow exactly what the market required. KOAN engaged field coordinators to assist the farmers in aggregating their products. The coordinators served as the nodes between farmers and retailers. The farmer marketing collectives would eventually absorb them.

 

Proof of the pudding is in the eating. Sales began in the month of November 2020. By December the volumes had considerably increased and February 2020 saw the highest volumes traded since. By this time two farmer cooperatives had been formally registered, i.e. the Murang’a Organic Growers Cooperatives Society and Machakos Organic Cooperative Society. With increase in confidence, retailers also started demanding for more, the current volumes were inadequate. This warranted the increase in farmer supply base.  More farmers recruited into the cooperative and supply volumes ramped up.  Projected volume for supply had the situation remained constant would have been northwards of 10 tonnes monthly since the volumes had been growing by 30%monthly.

 

As with any worthwhile endeavour, challenges will be encountered and for this particular system, the COVID 19 pandemic struck hard. With limited movements and reduced consumption, most households are keeping a firm grip on their expenditures. Hotels and restaurants closed their doors to clients, retailers reported significant dip in consumer spending. These were by far the biggest buyers and significantly reduced their demand. The situation might seem bleak but it has also revealed opportunities.

  • Nairobi cannot be the only market for organic produce, with increased sensitization more viable markets can be cultivated closer to home. This will also lead to increased profits for the farmers with transport cost reduced substantially.
  • Third party traders and retailers need not be the only outlets; the cooperatives can develop their outlets and market their products as organic. This is a reality in other sectors, Fresha Milk, a popular brand in Kenya is owned by Murang’a Dairy Cooperative Society.
  • Post harvest preparation and Value addition needs to be part of the system. Today there might not be a market, but the situation might change overnight.

The story is not at an end yet, with the support of KOAN, the cooperatives are exploring the above options. Although demand from Nairobi still exists, the COVID19 pandemic revealed how fragile the system is. A pivot is needed, to where and what?  Only time will tell. Watch this space for updates.

 

 

[1] FIBl and IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture, The World of Organic Agriculture, 2016 <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849775991>.

[2] FiBL and IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture, ed. by Helga Willer and Julia Lernoud, The World of Organic Agriculture Statistic and Emerging Trends 2019, 2019 <https://doi.org/10.4324/9781849775991>.

 

The following article appeared in AFRONET ISSUE NO 3 JANUARY TO JUNE 2020

 

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR KOAN WEBSITE EDITING AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

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DEADLINE : 30th April 2020

1.0 About KOAN

Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) is a national membership organization for organic agriculture in Kenya. KOAN was formed to coordinate, facilitate and provide leadership and professional services to all members and other stakeholders in the organic agriculture sector in Kenya. KOAN Membership is derived from farmers, traders, exporters, service providers (extension officers, certification bodies) and research institutions. The organization goal is to develop key competencies, skills and strategies in the areas of Organic Production; Marketing; Standards and Certification; Training, Extension and Information Exchange; Networking, Policy and Advocacy.

KOAN is implementing a project “Empowering Stakeholders to Understand the Harmful Effects of Toxic Agrochemicals in Kenya and Adopt Safe Alternatives.” Funded by Henrich Boll stiftung Foundation. Inline with project goals and objectives, KOAN would like to engage a consultant to provide the services of web editing and content management.

2.0 Services required.

The specific services required under this call for expression of interest include the following:

  1. Developing an online/web/e-data base with information on pesticides, crops and alternatives including other information as may be provided by KOAN contact person.
  2. Update the KOAN website with information as provided by the KOAN contact person

3.0 Expertise required

KOAN is therefore looking for a qualified consultant to undertake the services indicated above. The consultant should have the following:

  1. Formal training at a degree level on computer literacy or related.
  2. Have a profile of at least 3 databases or websites he/she has developed. This should be supported by contact persons and contacts of the clients.
  3. At least 3 years experience in the field of web development.

4.0 Time line:

The assignment should be done in the month of May and June 2020. The consultant should write a statement of availability within the indicated period to undertake the assignment. The assignment is expected to take 5-10 days.

4.0 Payment

The prospective consultant is requested to send a financial proposal indicating daily rate of payment.

5.0 Technical approach

The consultant should send a proposed technical framework for the data base using the sample indicated data on the excel.

The technical framework and budget should be sent to KOAN not later than 30th April 2020 on info@koan.co.ke For any enquiries call 0721949546

Call for expression Website.pdf

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC PRODUCE VALUE CHAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

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DEADLINE : 25th May 2020

 

1.0 About KOAN

Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) is a national membership organization for organic agriculture in Kenya. KOAN was formed to coordinate, facilitate and provide leadership and professional services to all members and other stakeholders in the organic agriculture sector in Kenya. KOAN Membership is derived from farmers, traders, exporters, service providers (extension officers, certification bodies) and research institutions. The organization goal is to develop key competencies, skills and strategies in the areas of Organic Production; Marketing; Standards and Certification; Training, Extension and Information Exchange; Networking, Policy and Advocacy.
In order to effectively dispense its mandate of availing quality organic produce to consumer’s at the most convenient way, KOAN would like to develop an integrated organic produce value chain management system. The aim is to develop a dynamic system that has functionality of CRM, produce tracking, order management and reporting to Kenya Organic Agriculture Network
2.0 Services required.

The specific services required under this call for expression of interest include the following:
Build and Deploy a collaborative and internet based order management system for Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN).

2.1 The eco-system should allow for:
• Farmers to load up available produce
• KOAN to confirm produce for sales availability
• Wholesale buyers to order from the produce available and orders processed by farmers direct.
• Retail buyers to order from produce available and orders processed by KOAN.
• Note paid and unpaid orders.
• Provide various reports to stakeholders.

• Sectors to be managed through the BRP system:

2.2 Stakeholders
• Farmers (App and Online System)
• KOAN (App and Online System)
• Wholesale Buyers (App and Online System)
• Retail Buyers (App and Online System)

2.3 Information Managed
• Organic Produce by Farmer
• Orders and Order Quantities
• Payments and Payment Reporting
• Client Relationship Management
• Supplier Relationship Management

3.0 SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
3.1 Critical Activities
Towards the implementation of the system, the following will be automated:
• Tracking People (Farmers, Customers, Wholesalers …)
• Tracking Organic Produce
• Tracking Orders and Sales
• Tracking Payments
• Reporting and Feedback at all Levels

3.2 Approach to Development
The suggested approach will result to the following (Not exclusive):
• Internet Based System (Web Application+API)
• Modularized System (Scalable Modules)
• Accessible on all digital platforms (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone)

3.3Modules / Features
The following modules should be implemented:
• CRM Management
• Organic Produce Inventory Management
• Ordering and Orders Lifecycle Management
• Security Management
• Dynamic Dashboards
• User Friendly UI
• Web based Interface
• Branch and User Functionality

3.4 Platform Requirements
For the user interface, the following is expected as outputs:
• Full website with organic produce loading and ordering.

• All stakeholders will be able to go to the KOAN orders website and manage their produce and orders.
• Farmers App. An app for farmers to load organic produce and manage their accounts which will include orders and order processing from wholesale clients.
• KOAN App. Additionally there shall be a possibility of KOAN team to view and manage various sections of the eco system as required and manage orders from retail clients.
• Client App . Based on level (Wholesale/Retail), the app will allow for ordering of produce and management of orders with various reporting.

4.0 KEY DELIVERABLES
The project’s key deliverables will be the following:
1. KOAN website – Ordering Website
2. KOAN Farmers’ App
3. KOAN Clients’ App
4. Documentation and manuals for the eco-system.

5.0 Time frame
The estimate start date is May 2020 with final hand over expected not later than 4 months from the signing of service contract.

6.0 Expertise required
KOAN is therefore looking for a qualified consultant to undertake the services indicated above. The consultant should have the following:
a) Formal training at a degree level on computer literacy or related.
b) Have a profile of at least 3 databases or websites he/she has developed. This should be supported by contact persons and contacts of the clients.
c) At least 3 years experience in the field of developing mobile based applications and web based systems with end to end functionality.

7.0 Payment
The prospective consultant is requested to send a financial proposal indicating daily rate of payment, number of days that he/she will take and total cost inclusive of taxes.
8.0 Technical approach
The consultant should send a proposed technical framework for developing the application.
The technical framework and budget should be sent to KOAN not later than 25th May 2020 on info@koan.co.ke For any enquiries call 0721949546

Call for expression of interest, value chain management system.pdf

Toxic Chemicals Everywhere, Our Lives on the Line…. #TOXICBUSINESS

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After a recent expose on how supermarkets use chemicals (sodium metabisulphite) on meat to remain fresh, and the increasing cancer deaths among other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the link between food and disease among Kenyans is now alive. Sadly the proposed solutions are the usual reactional, mostly geared towards closing the supermarket meat butcheries, setting up more cancer centers, providing hospitals with screening equipment’s and less on preventative measures.

Tainted meat on supermarket shelves?

As a society we need to look back at where the rains started beating us. For a long time, we have lived in some sort of fool’s paradise, eating without any care about the safety of the food. Dangerous chemicals continue to be registered in the county including those banned elsewhere. Most of the extension is done by the manufacturers and distributors of these chemical. Farmers indiscriminately use them on regime basis rather on need as advised to increase sales.

 

From the Pesticides Control and Products Board, (PCPB) in 2018, Kenya imported fifteen thousand six hundred (15,600) tones of chemicals, more than double (2X) the amounts imported in 2015, six thousand four hundred tonnes (6400).  PCPB has registered 247 active ingredients  in 699 products for horticultural use. There are more products than active ingredients since one active ingredient can be in different formulations registered by different companies in different products. For example active ingredient glyphosate is registered in 39 products by 22 companies. Active ingredient imidacloprid is registered in 30 products by 13 companies.  It is also important to note that most products contain “inert ingredients”. These are carrier or sticking agents that help the product retain the active agent in a stable form. The inert ingredients quite often constitute over 95% of the pesticide product and are equally toxic as the active ingredient and sometimes even more. Sadly, when registering pesticide products, pesticide manufacturers are only required to list the active ingredients in a pesticide, leaving consumers and applicators unaware of the possible toxics present in the inert ingredients of the pesticide products they are using. Pesticide manufacturers argue they cannot release information on inert ingredients because they are trade secrets, and if released, their products could be duplicated.

In a recent study undertaken by the Route to Food Initiative, (RTFI) and partners, of the 247 active ingredients registered in Kenya, by the Pest Control and Poisons Board (PCPB), only 150 are approved in Europe, 11 are not listed in the European database and 78 have been withdrawn from the European market or are heavily restricted in their use due to potential chronic health effects, environmental persistence, high toxicity towards fish or bees. From the PCPB records a total ofl 155 companies have registered 699 products in Kenya. Most of the products originate from Europe (288 products), followed by China (199 products), India (82 products), US (54 products), Israel (32 products) and Japan (19 products) while other regions/countries have registered the balance. This means Europe and not China, as often argued, is the market leader in terms of pesticide sale.

Double Standards

Unfortunately, agricultural exports to Europe from Kenya and Africa at large are put under stringent measures for sanitary, phytosanitary and Maximum Residual Levels, (MRLS) – the maximum detectable levels for pesticides in food products allowable for export. This is a measure importing countries put to ensure safety of products getting into their countries with a mission to safeguard their safety. The companies that manufacture these pesticides cannot sell some of them in the countries of origin but dump them to Kenya and other developing countries. They make sure they don’t get back to Europe by use of rigorous regular monitoring systems to detect and reject products distained to their markets at the points of entry. Strangely, the EU Regulation EC304/2003 allows European companies to produce and export banned or restricted pesticides for domestic use to other countries, the so called double standard. However in a recent report to the Human Rights Council (Elver, 2017), the United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Toxic Wastes and the Right to Food stated that to expose other nations to toxins known to cause major health damage or fatality is a clear human rights violation. They called on countries to remove these existing double standards especially with countries with weaker regulatory systems.

Back home, in a vicious treadmill we continuously import more chemicals that our farmers indiscriminately use without proper protection, disregard the harvest intervals and sometimes after harvest to increase the shelf life. While this is happening, the authorities have remained aloof as poison is served to citizens and the resultant cost of health continues to increase. The dynamics surrounding food safety and nutrition are too vital to be ignored or down played.

How safe is the food being sprayed ?

It is high time the Pest Control Poisons Board (PCPB) withdrew pesticides that have been banned elsewhere for their known adverse effects on human health and persistence on the environment from the Kenyan markets. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate (KEPHIS) needs to   revamp its National Pesticide Residue Monitoring Programme (NPRMP) and  make it regular in all counties. Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) need tighten on the Standard requirements for chemicals used in Agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Fisheries and Irrigation  need to revamp our agriculture extension system so that farmers can be advised by neutral agricultural experts on the use of pesticides, when, how to use and which to avoid. Government extension agents  should play a key role on monitoring how farmers use chemicals and also to ensure that banned chemicals are not sold to unaware farmers. Private sector and Civil Society in the agriculture sector need to work more closely in a synergistic way and promote agroecology and marketing of safe agricultural produce. We need to educate our citizens/consumers so that they be more involved in deciding what is served on their plates, otherwise, our lives are on the line.

 

 

Kenya Organic Food Festival and Exhibition 2019

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The Kenya Organic Food Festival and Exhibition 2018

Venue: Wangari Maathai Institute Kabete

Date: 21-22nd September 2019

Gate Entry: Free

The first of its kind in Kenya will host over 50 exhibitors including traders, farmers, input suppliers etc who will showcase what the Organic Food industry is all about.

The event is particularly tailored for families and organic farming enthusiasts, with more focus on learning and technology transfer.

The following programme of events will be followed;

 

Conference Title: Your Health, Your Wealth: What Governments can do to ensure Healthy Constituents.

Morning session

Objective: Understanding the Link between Food, Food Safety, Health and Nutrition

The morning session of the conference aims at addressing consumer’s Interests around:

  • Food safety
  • Food quality
  • Consumer health (Intrinsic and Extrinsic qualities)
  • Availability
  • Accessibility

The above themes can be refined into 3 main themes that also tie in nicely to policy issues within agriculture.

Table 1: Summary of the themes and topics to be covered in the discussions.

Theme # 1 2 3
Theme Title Designing sustainable food systems Heathy planet, Healthy people Nutrition
Description Availability and Accessibility of organic produce to consumers The links between healthy soils, healthy plants and animals and healthy human beings for sustainable Diet The complexities of nutrition with regards to culture traditions and taste and how to eat a balanced diet
Active partner/ Workshop facilitator HIVOS GAIN
Topics covered (Based on issues mentioned thus far) Food safety, Food quality, Accessibility, Affordability Awareness, Consumer Health, Availability Consumer Health, Acceptability
Approach (2hrs) Inspirational Master Classes in break out groups 1 1/4 hrs

 

There will be one lead facilitator for each theme. Participants will break into three groups based on interest. For each group there will be one expert of the theme/area of interest who will use a max 20 minutes to present/introduce the topic either through their real life experience of an ongoing innovative project/business case/idea in line with the main consumer issues.

 

Thereafter the floor opens up to gather feedback from the audience (10 min). The goal is that the audience understands the case,  and is inspired to be part of it and ask questions.

 

The next 30 minutes are open floor to talk about the audiences experiences, inspirations, ideas and how they could be a part of this/support/ connect/ grow the idea. The main points are jotted down and the facilitator keeps these in mind to improve the presentation and information.

 

In the final 15 minutes, the main points are summarised, ways forward are given and the facilitator adds these points. This is used to inspire the plenary session

 

In the 15 minutes, all participants are asked to return to the main room for the inspirational summary, through which the three facilitators will have 10 min each to present their case again, what is good, what they will continue working on and also what is missing and partners they are looking for. This is done in panel formation.
Needs Timekeepers (3x), 1x plenary moderator, 3x workshop facilitators, 2hrs

 

Afternoon Session

Objective: What Counties are doing to ensure healthy constituents

The afternoon session aims at sharing what County Governments can do to support Ecological Organic Agriculture. The idea is for Counties that are already supporting EOA can inspire others on what they are doing so that others can learn and also support in their Counties.

Approach:

Three Counties will be selected to share their experiences. Participants will break into three groups and in each group one county will share how they are supporting EOA in their respective Counties in 10 -15 minutes. Then the audience will have 20-30 minutes to suggest other specific areas where they would like County Governments to support. The County officials will be given an opportunity to advise on practicalities and whether the ideas can be taken up and advise on the best approaches. The key potential ideas will be summarized and be presented at plenary. These will be take home messages for County Governments and basis for Civil Society Organizations to undertake follow ups.

Day 2: September 20th 2019 – Organic Food and Eco Festival

Objective: To show case organic products, innovations and other environmentally friendly technologies

The day will be a family out fun day where different age groups will be entertained, informed on the benefits of eating organic and have an opportunity to purchase organic and other environmentally friendly products. Below are some of the activities that will take place on the day.

Food Cooking Competition

The chefs will cook food using fresh organic vegetables found at the organic market

The idea is that the chef explains her/his meals, get people involved in cooking with her/him while explaining the health benefits of such foods. Location in the kitchen.

Farmers Market

Farmers sell and explain their organic journey – Challenges and Opportunities in Organic Production marketing and how consumers could participate in the development of organic food system

Organic/Healthy Treasure Hunt

Organic certified treats offered (These could be from Kenya and other countries)

Art-related activities: Painting, art and story-telling via art

Opportunity for people to draw their opinion of an organic system/city/county/neighbor hood

Face painting relating to organic things/things needed for a healthy ecosystem. Think of trees, bees, flowers, clean air, clean water, soils (worms), the sun,

Comedy: Comedian to tell jokes relating to the truth of our current food economy and what needs to change

Home gardening: Workshop on how one can plant and grow their vegetables or herbs at  home

Other recreational facilities include:

Bouncing castle

Entertainment/concert at the Amphitheater

Football (mini courts)

 

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Wangari Maathai Institute

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Wangari Maathai Institute -1.247654, 36.729097 Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies

Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative

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Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOAI) 2017 – 2019 funded by SIDA through the Swedish Society of Nature Conservation, (SSNC) and the (EOAI) 2015 – 2018 funded by Swiss Development Cooperation

Since the agrarian revolution, conventional agriculture has been seen as the solution to food security worldwide. Agriculture became commercialized and large-scale production systems emerged where farm mechanization and use of synthetic agrochemicals were the most effective means of controlling pests and diseases. The use of synthetic agrochemicals indeed boosts production in the short term but have significant negative impacts in the long run. As more research into the impact of synthetic agrochemicals comes in, it is more apparent that ecological agricultural production methods need to be mainstreamed if food security in Africa is to be attained.

The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative is an African Union-led continental programme, started in 2011 and implemented under the guidance and oversight of the AU chaired Continental Steering Committee (CSC).  EOA aims at instituting an African organic farming platform based on available best practices; and developing sustainable organic farming systems and improved seed quality. The mission of the initiative is to promote ecologically sound strategies and practices among diverse stakeholders involved in the production, processing, marketing, and policy-making to safeguard the environment, improve livelihoods, alleviate poverty and guarantee food security among farmers in Africa. The goal is to contribute to mainstreaming of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) into national agricultural production systems by 2025 in order to improve agricultural productivity, food security, access to markets and sustainable development in Africa.

Fruits and Vegetables Supply System

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Developing a sustainable supply system for fruits and vegetables from smallholder farmers in Muranga and Machakos counties to modern markets in Kenya.

The project aims at addressing key challenges in marketing organic produce from smallholder farmers which include but not limited to: weak linkages between producers and traders, poor quality of produce reaching the market, low capacity for farmers/traders to organize logistics (handling, sorting, grading, packaging and transportation) for products to reach the market, poor organization and bulking of products from smallholder farmers whose scale of production is low and lack of cold chain which jeopardizes quality management along the chain, weak guarantee system, weak flow of market information and limited awareness of organic products. The project also builds upon lessons learnt in previous marketing projects which include the need for strengthening supply logistics, cultivating strong relationships between supermarket and farmers, quality management along the value chain and developing a strong organic brand for higher visibility of organic products in the market.

The project is designed not only to address issues on one side of the chain but takes a holistic approach to address challenges based on past experiences at different nodes of the chain. These experiences are from the chain actors and not one organization. The implementation of the project will also be participatory involving and working together with all the stakeholders. This will critical to ensure success of the project.

 

For More Up to date Details about the Project Follow this link

Lake Bogoria

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Empowering Communities in Lake Bogoria Production Landscape to enhance the overall effectiveness in the management and conservation of the Lake Bogoria National Reserve, through inclusiveness and consensus-building.

This is a conservation project for the Lake Bogoria Landscape, a priority Landscape for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Phase six. The project supports community-based organizations and networks that cover the entire Lake Bogoria Basin such as the Water Resources Users Association; the Baringo County Community Conservancies Association (BCCCA); the Rift Lakes Conservancies Association (RLCA) and the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), given their critical role for replication, upscaling and sustainability.

The Future is Not Organic

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By a show of hands/clicks Who wants to be a farmer in Kenya right now?

Farmers in Kenya are grappling with multiple problems, from high input prices to frequent pest and disease infestations.

To be a farmer in Kenya is to accept suffering all in a bid to feed a nation that gives little thought to where their food comes from. Traditional crop farming has been replaced with more conventional farming methods; and it seems only those who have gone high tech seem to be reaping most of the benefits especially when middlemen come into the picture.

middle men in the agricultural value chain
Farmers are suffering because of exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen

So what?

The picture maybe daunting but there is always a way. On 22 September 2018, the world celebrated the World Organic Agriculture Day; in Kenya we commemorated the event a day earlier at the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. The KENYA ORGANIC FOOD FESTIVAL AND EXHIBITION (KOFFE) ,organized by among others Egerton University, the University of Nairobi and the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network, saw multiple players in the organic agriculture sector discuss the past, present and future recourse.

Wangari Maathai Institute (WMI) for Peace and Environmental Studies

Wangari Maathai Institute (WMI) for Peace and Environmental Studies

Farmers displaying their products were smiling all the way. Having worked with them for the past 4 years I could understand their mirth, they played the long game and are now reaping the benefits. Not to be overlooked, organic farmers still face the same challenges as conventional farmers, they suffer pest and disease attacks but the losses they incur are usually within the economic threshold.

Kenya Organic Food Festival and Exhibition (KOFFE) 2018

Why is that? What Makes Organic Farming so Special?

Crops grown organically in ecologically sound conditions grow hardier and more resilient to environmental shocks as well as pest and disease attacks. They are nutrient packed and fetch much better prices than conventionally grown produce. Due to poor traceability and hygiene standards in conventional systems, a growing number of conscious consumers are willing to pay a premium price for organically certified foods. Take for example a kilo of tomatoes, if grown under normal conventional system it will go for KES 80-100 at the local market, if it is organic the price will range from KES 120-180, where the latter will have spent much less to produce. This means that the organic farmers will always get a fair price for their produce and not suffer the exploitation of intermediaries.

Food security… Much Ado about Organic

Some pundits will argue that if all farmers were to go organic, Kenya would never be able to achieve food security. Nevertheless, despite over 50 years of conventional agriculture, Kenya is still yet to attain food security and this has nothing to do with organic agriculture, because it is all about systems.

In 2015, a national wide soil survey released by President Uhuru Kenyatta at Egerton University revealed that Kenya soils are exhausted. Farmers are now spending more on inputs but with diminishing outputs, this has led to Kenya being a net importer of food.

That is unless you are an organic farmer; through sound soil nurturing and production practices they are able to maintain high levels of productivity at a fraction of the cost.  It more about the farmers’ mindset, passion and sustainable thinking other than pure commercial interest are the driving force. Fairness to the environment, to the people and to all contributors is a central theme. As proven by the state of Sikkim India, food security is possible through organic practices. Going organic means farmers’ health will not be at risk thereby prolonging their capacity to produce food for the nation.

Organic farmer smiling all the way

What about cost of food? Too good to be affordable?

Organic food is perceived as expensive, and maybe it is and with rising cost of living not that many households can bear the additional cost. However, as any economist will tell you, once there are more players in the industry, market forces will drive down organic food costs. Majority of commercial organic farmers produce for export markets but if more farmers joined the scene, the local market will have adequate supply. This will also not only create opportunity for other players (input manufactures, processors, certifiers etc.) but will effectively lower other operational costs.

We’re living in the world of now, and many people will shrug and say they’ll just wait and see.

Martin Njoroge

The problem comes in when people are consuming pesticide residue laden foods, which is manifesting itself in myriads of illnesses, organic foods don’t have pesticide residues because the organic farmers don’t use them in the first place and they put in measures to prevent contamination from such. That’s the whole point of going organic really, plus the sense of safety in knowledge that twenty year from now some scientist won’t discover that the chemicals considered safe today aren’t that safe really.

“Proof of the pudding is in the eating” – Origins of GRAS. . .

The future..The Now.. And In between

Promoting organic agriculture in Kenya is all about promoting the health of the nation. With a serious cancer prevalence, the burden of disease is seriously impeding our developmental progress as a country. Kenya has a checkered past where commercial interests have overridden the health and safety of the people. This need not be. The Organic movement in Kenya is real and very vibrant but unfortunately not many people are aware of its existence. Farmer and consumer education on the benefits of adopting organic production practices is critical, because they can be used in tandem with conventional practices.

The National and County governments have a central role in sensitizing farmers, and working with NGO’s who have been the main drivers behind the organic movement, organic agriculture will be mainstreamed in policies and practices in Kenya. This does not mean the ball lies solely on the government’s court; all farmers should take up the responsibility and decide that their health and the health of consumers come first and do the necessary to bridge the gap in between.

So its The NOW but not the Future that is Organic

City Food Systems

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By Prof. Raphael G Wahome edited by Zachary Kimari

Cities are largely dependent on the rural areas for food. Unwittingly, they usually are the final and most important component of the complete city food system. In a nutshell, the food system is simply  an economic system, that facilitates  production, aggregation, processing and distribution of food to city dwellers; with proceeds flowing back through the value chain actors’ and even further  back to input manufacturers. However, it is much more complex than that it seems. It has effects on soil structure, fertility and water-holding capacity; resilience to climate change, crop, animal and human productivity; food security, health and biodiversity; social capital, employment generation, gender; and general national development. It is therefore apparent, that it transcends geopolitical relationships, politics, governance, social and cultural aspects.

The demand for affordable foods in the cities grows at the rate of population growth modulated by changing tastes and cultural diversity. There is also a  similar increase in enterprises to meet this demand, driven by desire for profit.  These enterprises span across the provision of needed inputs and equipment, through aggregation transport and distribution to the consumer industry of retailing and restauranting. 


Interest to make money has overridden core needs of sustainability, health, fairness and care

Opportunity for gain abounds, since people must eat. In modern times, interest to make money has overridden core needs of sustainability, health, fairness and care. The consequences are manifest in depleted and poisoned soils, loss of biodiversity, exponential increase in non-communicable diseases,  oppression and exploitation of the producing communities and urban poor.In their current state, city food systems are not sustainable and are failing to meet food and nutrition needs for all.

Farmer Spraying Farm

Increasing demand for food is linked to greater, intensified and extensive  use of synthetic agricultural inputs. Ultimately Modern farming has  been equated to desertion of nature for production needs. It does this at a high cost to the environment and resultant loss of resilience among the poor.  The cost of biodiversity loss or for ecosystems services is not met by the current system. Approximately 60% of the ecosystem services examined in the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment are being degraded or used unsustainably (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment – Synthesis, 2005).  Finally, nature has started to fight back. Now even FAO has recognized the need for “production intensification through ecosystem management” (Plant Production and Protection Division, www.fao.org/ag/AGP). That ideally, consumers should care about what they eat is produced, how safe and nutritious it is, has come as a revelation to many. 

Despite this “revelation” agricultural production tends to follow the same old cue. It seems as if the only approvable model of agricultural production in the developing world must ape that in developed world – meaning greater intensification and mono-cultural production dependent upon stronger push for more synthetic input. It is thus easy to predict the outcome. With nature fighting back, more inputs must be made available for less production until vast portions of hitherto productive land lies in waste. Examples abound globally and locally.

The following article appeared on the Kenya Organic Food Festival and Exhibition 2018 Proceedings