FAO and the Government of Kenya Launch A Migratory and Invasive Pests and Weeds Management Strategy
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Kenya today launched the Migratory and Invasive Pests and Weeds Management Strategy. The event was graced by the Cabinet Secretary for the he Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Hon. Peter Munya, FAO Deputy Director General Beth Bechdol, FAO Director of the Office of Emergency and Resilience Rein Paulsen, FAO Kenya and UN Resident Coordinator Stephen Jackson.
Following the successful control of the biggest desert locust upsurge witnessed in decades, Kenya has taken lead in the development of a Migratory and Invasive Pests and Weeds Management Strategy.
‘The lessons learnt from the desert locust invasion and the emergence of new invasive pests and weeds has exposed the gaps related to institutional and overall coordination structures; human capacity and resources; communication, knowledge and information systems’ noted Hon. Munya. ‘The Ministry will continue working closely with regional and global organizations and national and county stakeholders and the donor community, and establish a multi stakeholder migratory pest management platform that will provide a well-coordinated strategy steering framework’.
“The worrying trend in frequent and intense droughts in the Horn of Africa, where crop and livestock agriculture is the main economic activity, poses an urgent and direct threat to food and nutrition security’ noted FAO Deputy Director General Beth Bechdol in her keynote remarks. Ms. Bechdol is in Kenya to assess the drought situation in the Horn of Africa.
In Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, the worst drought affected countries, projections indicate that some 25.3 million people will be facing high acute food insecurity by mid-2022. Weather extremes, natural resource limitations, conflicts and COVID-19 pandemic among others have already stretched the coping capacities of rural communities to the limit, undermining agricultural productivity.
Saving rural livelihoods through pest control
FAO’s Horn of Africa Drought Response Plan calls for $138 million overall to help rural communities withstand the multiple impacts of drought on agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and food security during 2022. While local capacity, through strong multi-stakeholder collaborations has been built in the control of desert locust, migratory and invasive pests like Quelea birds, Fall Armyworm as well as invasive weeds like the water hyacinth, continue to threaten food and nutritional security in affected areas invaded and infested. The frequency of invasions and spread of these pests have increased in the recent past, trends exuberated by climate change.
These pests and weeds characteristically move beyond political boundaries and, as much as countries would wish to control these pests as soon as they are detected, their management is so complex and requires a well-thought-out roadmap and must be handled through a transboundary approach with the neighbouring countries. This is where the Migratory and Invasive Pests and Weeds Management Strategy being launching today comes in through its seven pillars namely; capacity building, early warning, surveillance, control operation and livelihood restoration.
FAO contributed to the conceptualization and development of this strategy. Its implementation by the national and county governments will steer management of migratory and invasive pests and weeds, and ensure livelihoods recovery, restoration and resilience for affected communities.
The implementation will also contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations and agenda 2065 of increased food and nutritional security through effective management of migratory and invasive pests by strengthening the capacity of ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives and the counties to adequately address incidences of migratory and invasive pests and weeds.
For more information:
Othieno Joseph
Communication Specialist,
FAO Kenya.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @FAOKenya