Another step forward to enhance livestock climate actions in Kenya

With a livestock population of over 146 million, livestock play an important socio-economic role in Kenya. Yet, the livestock sector is also one of the most vulnerable to climate change. About 80 percent of Kenya's land surface is in arid or semi-arid areas and livestock farmers in the country are facing many challenging situations, including drought and desertification. This emergency is making the provision of animal feeding difficult and increases livestock mortality in the country. That is why the government of Kenya has facilitated the sale and slaughter of weak animals to support the livelihoods of pastoral communities.

Agricultural systems in Kenya are also one of the leading sources of Kenya’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing about 30 percent of total national GHG emissions. Within agriculture, methane emissions from livestock are by far the most predominant source of emissions, with about 88 percent of emissions originating from enteric fermentation of large and small ruminants and manure management systems. This situation calls for ambitious livestock climate actions to enhance the adaptation and resilience of vulnerable livestock communities to climate change, and to set mitigation targets aligned with Kenya’s livestock development programmes.

FAO and the State Department of Livestock of Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture andLivestock Development are organizing a 3-day stakeholder engagement workshop on “Enhancing national climate action in livestock systems in Kenya” to integrate more livestock interventions in Kenya’s climate action and provide recommendations and actions for the development of the livestock and climate change action plan.

About the workshop

The workshop will bring together participants from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Kenya, as well as representatives of research and academia, international organizations, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and financial institutions, including the World Bank and the Kenya Commercial Bank, farmer and producer associations, the private sector and civil society organizations.

The workshop will take place in Nakuru, Kenya from 7 to 9 December and is conducted within the context of the FAO project on "Reducing enteric methane for improving food security and livelihoods" funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). The project is implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse gases (GRA) and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC).

East Africa’s priority needs

The workshop will build on the outcomes of a previous regional consultation between East African countries. In October 2021, FAO organized a regional workshop with countries in East Africa, including Kenya, to prioritize the reduction of methane in livestock climate actions in East Africa. On that occasion, countries in East Africa identified the following regional needs:

• Analysis to support Tier 2 livestock greenhouse gas inventories;
• Alignment of climate and livestock development action plans;
• Capacity building on climate finance for the livestock sector;
• Adoption of mitigation interventions to reduce methane emissions.

FAO's work on methane

FAO works with members in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to support them set ambitious national methane reduction and adaptation targets as part of their commitments to the Paris Agreement. With the support of FAO and partners, members will be able to reduce methane and greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector, while improving food security and enhancing the efficiency and productivity of large and small ruminant systems at the national level. In addition, FAO provides guidance and recommendations to governments and decision-makers on how to integrate livestock-specific adaptation and mitigation interventions into national strategies, investments, and policies.

After COP 27

FAO in collaboration with IFAD, Global Dairy Platform, Green Climate Fund and other partners is facilitating the preparation of the funding proposal on “Pathways to dairy net zero: Promoting low carbon and climate resilient livestock in East Africa”. During the 27TH Conference of Parties (COP 27) Global Methane Pledge Ministerial, GCF announced the approval of the project preparation fund of 3.5 million USD to support the preparation of this project in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.