CURRENT AND COMPLETED PROJECTS
Project Period: 2022-2024
Objective: The main objective of this project is to support the development of strong and inclusive organic businesses and value chains in Kenya, targeting both the domestic and export market, while also improving the capacity of the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) as a professional, business-oriented organization that offers high-quality services to its members, other sector actors, and the public.
Project Partners: The project is technically supported by the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and financially supported by the BioVision Foundation and The Leopold Bachmann Foundation
The Goal of the project is to create demand for organic local produce in Kenya, with the goal of stimulating a healthier diet, promoting environmentally friendly and income-enhancing agricultural production in rural areas, specifically Building Kilimohai Organic awareness and increasing organic sales through organic promotion.
Implementing Partners: The project is being implemented by FiBL Switzerland in collaboration with Kenyan partners WOWZI and the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN).
Project Period: 2.5 years, from March 2021 to September 2023.
AGROCHEMICALS AND ALTERNATIVES PROJECT- Transitioning farmers from Agrochemical reliance to safer and sustainable options.
The projects aims at providing alternatives to commercial agrochemicals which are harmful to human, animal and environmental health. The study focuses on Agrochemical use in Murang’a and Kirinyaga, making a comparison between Organic and Conventional Farmers. The project has several components;
Component 1 : Farmer Survey to catalogue pesticide use in both Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties
Component 2 : Screening of ToxicBusiness Documentaries in both Murang’a and Kirinyaga Counties. These documentaries were developed by the Route To Food Initiative
Component 3 : Development of SafeInputs Database which is a platform with commonly used pesticides and the alternatives available. the Database will serve to transition farmers and other users to safer options following the Integrated Pest Management methods.
Component 4: Media and Publicity of the three components.
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…
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)…
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.
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED PROJECTS
1. Organic Trade in East Africa (OTEA) 2015 – 2018 funded by SIDA
2. Enhancing Coordination of Organic Markets in East Africa (ECOMEA) 2014-2017 funded by DANIDA
3. Facilitation and coordination of the organic sub-sector for livelihood improvement and increased resilience to the effects of climate change: 2010 – 2013 funded by HIVOS
4. Empowering smallholder farmers to adopt tea tree production for improved livelihoods and increased climate change resilience in Laikipia 2005 – 2007 funded by UNDP, GEF
5. Organic value chain development 2009 – 2010 funded by HIVOS
6. Gender and certified value chains in East Africa 2010 funded by HIVOS and SNV
7. Facilitating coordination of the organic sub-sector to increase incomes among small scale producers through sustainable land use and access to more rewarding and fairer markets 2007 – 2010 funded by HIVOS
8. Organic marketing assistance programme (OMAP), 2005 – 2006
9. Developing a marketing function for sustainable livelihoods and establishment of viable businesses within the organic agriculture industry 2004
10. One Stop Organic Shop in East Africa, (OSOSEA) 2013 – 2018 funded by TradeMark East Africa
11. Agrochemicals and Alternatives Project – 2019-2020 – Funded by Heinrich Boell Foundation and in Partnership with Route To Food Intiative
12. Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) Project – 2020-2022 – In partnership with the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and the Organic Agriculture Centre of Kenya (OACK)