Nairobi, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has unveiled a new project to bolster Kenyan agriculture. The five-year initiative, named the Local Food Systems (LFS), is set to invest USD 50 million (Sh7.6 billion) in local food production, aiming to increase the country’s food supply by 2027.
According to Kenya News Agency, the LFS project, covering 17 counties, will involve a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including farmers, growers’ organizations, markets, transporters, and government entities. This initiative follows the successful Kenya Crops and Dairy Marketing Systems (KCDMS) project, which Mwadime supervised. The six-year KCDMS project focused on dairy and horticulture value chains, benefiting over 300,000 farmers through its three pillars: competitiveness, inclusivity, and resilience.
Dr. Mwadime, speaking at the close-out ceremony of the KCDMS project in Kiambu, explained that the LFS project is currently in the proposal submission and review phase. The project aims to enhance food production systems by engaging all value chain players from farm to market. He emphasized the project’s focus on minimizing losses and supporting growers through a food business aggregation model. This model is designed to protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen and rogue traders.
The LFS project also includes a market component, where efforts will be made to improve market structures and ensure clean, modern storage facilities to prolong the shelf life of food commodities. Dr. Mwadime noted that the initiative aligns with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) of the Kenya Kwanza Government and supports the government’s role in providing subsidized fertilizers and other inputs to enhance production.
Dina Esposito, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFs) at USAID, underscored the agency’s commitment to continued investment in Kenya. She announced that USAID plans to launch over $125 million in new activities in the agriculture resilience and irrigation sectors, aiming to improve food security and access to essential services for over 1.5 million Kenyans.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Rono lauded the KCDMS project for its significant impact on farmers and the agricultural sector. The KCDMS-USAID program, implemented in 12 counties, engaged over 200 agribusinesses and reached over 300,000 farmers, focusing on developing sustainable market systems in horticulture and dairy sectors.