USAID launches food systems initiative to address Kenya’s agricultural challenges
KENYA – The USAID Feed the Future Kenya Food Systems Activity was officially launched on January 15, 2025, at TechnoServe offices in Nairobi.
This five-year program aims to enhance food security, strengthen local economies, and support farmers across Kenya’s agricultural counties.
The initiative targets over 600,000 individuals, including farmers, pastoralists, and agro-pastoralists, with an emphasis on engaging women and youth.
Its objectives include improving productivity, building resilience against food insecurity and economic challenges, enhancing access to nutritious food for women and children under five, improving market access, strengthening supply chains, and supporting local food processing and entrepreneurship.
Agriculture remains a key pillar of Kenya’s economy.
Despite only 15–17% of the land being arable and less than 8% classified as high-quality, the sector supports millions of livelihoods.
While the sector has seen a decline in recent years, it contributed US$4.75 billion to Kenya’s GDP in 2023, representing 17% of the total GDP. This was a drop from its 22.4% share in 2021.
According to the Economic Survey 2022, the sector contracted by 0.1% in 2021, following a growth of 5.2% in 2020.
The decline was largely attributed to poor weather conditions that disrupted crop and livestock production.
Kenya’s agricultural production primarily relies on smallholder farmers who grow crops such as maize, potatoes, bananas, beans, and peas.
Agriculture’s profitability remains evident. In the second quarter of 2024, the sector’s contribution to GDP increased to US$3.69 billion, up from US$3.52 billion in the first quarter.
Since 2009, agricultural GDP has averaged US$2.61 billion, with the highest recorded contribution at US$3.69 billion in 2024.
While agriculture accounted for 21.3% of GDP in 2023, the tourism sector brought in US$2.7 billion from international arrivals.
USAID launches food systems initiative to address Kenya’s agricultural challenges
KENYA – The USAID Feed the Future Kenya Food Systems Activity was officially launched on January 15, 2025, at TechnoServe offices in Nairobi.
This five-year program aims to enhance food security, strengthen local economies, and support farmers across Kenya’s agricultural counties.
The initiative targets over 600,000 individuals, including farmers, pastoralists, and agro-pastoralists, with an emphasis on engaging women and youth.
Its objectives include improving productivity, building resilience against food insecurity and economic challenges, enhancing access to nutritious food for women and children under five, improving market access, strengthening supply chains, and supporting local food processing and entrepreneurship.
Agriculture remains a key pillar of Kenya’s economy.
Despite only 15–17% of the land being arable and less than 8% classified as high-quality, the sector supports millions of livelihoods.
While the sector has seen a decline in recent years, it contributed US$4.75 billion to Kenya’s GDP in 2023, representing 17% of the total GDP. This was a drop from its 22.4% share in 2021.
According to the Economic Survey 2022, the sector contracted by 0.1% in 2021, following a growth of 5.2% in 2020.
The decline was largely attributed to poor weather conditions that disrupted crop and livestock production.
Kenya’s agricultural production primarily relies on smallholder farmers who grow crops such as maize, potatoes, bananas, beans, and peas.
Agriculture’s profitability remains evident. In the second quarter of 2024, the sector’s contribution to GDP increased to US$3.69 billion, up from US$3.52 billion in the first quarter.
Since 2009, agricultural GDP has averaged US$2.61 billion, with the highest recorded contribution at US$3.69 billion in 2024.
While agriculture accounted for 21.3% of GDP in 2023, the tourism sector brought in US$2.7 billion from international arrivals.
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