ORGANIC HERBS AND SPICES BUSINESS GROUP

Introduction

Organic agriculture has the potential to generate significant incomes for households, thus potentially uplifting smallholder-farming households from poverty cycles and food/nutrition insecurity. Access to markets, increasing profits and health considerations (farmers/their families) are among the key factors identified as driving smallholder organic production. However, not all farmers are effectively linked to markets. Farmers view the lack of/limited marketing opportunities as one of the crucial gaps in sustainable farming.

This led to the birth of Participatory market chain approach (PMCA). The objective of PMCA process is to involve all stakeholders within the agriculture value chain in the marketing process. Currently the farmers involved in this process are from Murang’a County as a pilot initiative which can later be adopted to other regions in Kenya.