The Central Region Economic Block (CEREB), which consists of the 10 counties of Murang’a, Nyeri, Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Nakuru, Laikipia, and Kiambu, has come together to ensure residents eat healthy food that is grown without the use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers, which are harmful to human beings’ health and to the environment.
The Block Chief Executive (CEO), Ndirangu Gachunia, said the region realised that most counties dedicate between 35 and 40 per cent of their budgets to the health sector, noting that a large share of the amount is used in the treatment and management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).
He noted that the burden of diseases from NCD, such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, which are lifestyle diseases, can be reduced through healthier organic food and active lifestyles.
‘As a region, we have large numbers of people suffering from lifestyle diseases, and we have realised that it is upon county governments to promote the production and c
onsumption of organic and indigenous food to reduce morbidity,’ he said.
Gachunia, who was speaking at Wakas Organic Demo Farm in Sabasaba, Murang’a County, noted that, apart from availability, the other main challenge that residents face when searching for healthy organic farm produce is that they are unable to determine with certainty the source of the food they buy in local markets.
‘The block is working on a food traceability mechanism that will enable buyers to trace farm produce back to farmers and certified agro-ecological farms where the food was grown,’ Gachunia stated.
‘The block is also working towards issuing a certificate of origination that will reduce trade barriers in the region,’ he added.
The CEO also noted that the cost of distributing manufactured or branded goods in the region is very high, adding that the Economic Block is lobbying for friendlier charges in order to promote trade.
‘For example, if you cross over from Sagana Town in Kirinyaga County to Murang’a with branded goods, yo
u will have to pay a whole year’s license, even if you only got one order, despite the fact that they are neighbouring counties,’ he observed.
Gachunia said the team of County Executive Committee (CEC) Members for Agriculture and Directors of Agriculture from the CEREB counties was stunned to see farmers using locally available materials to produce pesticides and manure that are not harmful to consumers or the environment.
‘We visited this farm so that the CECs could see how they could implement such agro-ecological farms in their counties,’ he stated.
Murang’a County Director of Agriculture, Value Chains, Policy, and Strategy, Daniel Gitahi, an agro-ecology champion, said the Economic Block has a huge population and therefore member counties should ensure it is well fed with healthy foods.
He said Murang’a County will support their counterparts in the region, to ensure they move forward as a block as they establish a master plan for CEREB, positioning agro-ecology at the centre of sustainable agriculture
.
Gitahi said that in Murang’a, a multi-stakeholder platform, has been established to support the food system transformations that Kenya committed to at the food systems summit of 2021 in New York, USA.
‘The commitment required countries to support their small-scale farmers in growing crops and feeding themselves,’ he said, adding that national policies such as Agriculture Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy have also recognised the need for food systems transformation.
Gitahi noted that many efforts are being made under agroecology nationally, such as setting the target to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to help absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
He stated that stakeholders have recently validated the national agroecology strategy for food systems transformation at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KARLO), which is expected to set the stage for Kenyans to embrace agroecology nationally.
Gitahi celebrated the national strategy, saying that it will guide the country on how t
o move forward, noting that Murang’a County has already set the pace with the Murang’a County Agroecology Development Act, 2022.
The Institute for Culture and Ecology (ICE) Director, Martin Muriuki, said that the organisation has been at the forefront of promoting agroecology in the country to ensure Kenyans consume healthy foods.
‘Now we are supporting CEREB to promote the agroecology agenda in the region, as we have learnt many lessons through the development of the legal framework for agro-ecology in Murang’a County.’ Muriuki said.
Muriuki noted that ICE has had major success in supporting other counties to establish food security and climate resilience within their communities, since we started this journey of promoting agroecology.
He said the aim of ICE is to ensure County Administrations embrace agroecology and even set laws and guidelines as well as funds to support the practice, noting that so far, thousands of farmers have been reached.
‘We have been reaching out to thousands of farmers across
the country, and we know it is possible to promote agroecology because the farmers are embracing farming without the use of chemicals that are both expensive and harmful,’ he said.
ICE was one of the partners that supported Murang’a County in the drafting and adoption of an agroecology development Act and Policy, making it the first county to implement a legal framework for agroecology.
Hans Von Zinkernagel, a Project Manager under Bio-vision which is a Swiss organisation that promotes the production of healthy food, said it is inspiring that Murang’a County has put in place a law that guides agroecology, noting that it is part of concerted efforts to upscale healthy food production on a global level.
Zinkernagel said Bio-vision has been connecting farmers, civil society, and governments in policymaking so as to build an enabling environment for the adoption of sustainable practices.
‘Last year, we had a peer-to-peer engagement with government officials and civil societies from nine countries in Eastern a
nd Southern Africa to share experiences on developing national agro-ecology strategies,’ he added.
Zinkernagel underscored the significance of agro-ecology as a way of ensuring sustainable food system transformations.
He hailed African countries for upscaling agroecology by developing national strategies, which he said is not happening in Europe or North America.
‘Countries such as Brazil and India also have agro-ecological programmes and are helping farmers transition towards agro-ecological practices,’ he said, noting that developing countries are at the forefront of adopting and promoting agro-ecology practices.
Source : Kenya News Agency