World Food Day - FAO emphasizes smart agricultural technologies to enhance food security
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) used this year’s celebrations to call for action across sectors to ensure agri-food systems deliver adequate, affordable, nutritious, and safe food for all. It has intensified efforts to address food insecurity and drought in Kenya, focused on long and short-term measures to improve nutrition.
This year’s World Food Day was marked under the theme: “Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better life, Leave No One Behind.” The theme aimed to raise awareness on the need to support the transformation to a more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, for food security.
During the celebrations that were held in Rombo ward Kajiado County, the Deputy President H.E Rigathi Gachagua, who was the chief guest said the government is working with FAO to implement smart agricultural techniques to improve food security and nutrition in regions affected by the drought. He noted that this was the only way to help farmers adapt to the current climate change phenomenon.
FAO is prioritizing resilience building through promotion of climate smart agricultural techniques. The use of resilience as a means of promoting agriculture is in line with the Kenya’s national food and nutrition agenda as envisioned in the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy - 2017-2026.
FAO Kenya Representative Carla Mucavi said that FAO and other UN agencies have taken a holistic approach of working towards Better production, Better Nutrition, Better environment and a Better Life.
“Our efforts under better environment attracted a global recognition with Kirisia Community Forest Association winning this Year’s FAO Global Achievement award for successful restoration of Kirisia forest in Samburu County,” Mucavi said.
The Deputy President said initiatives to reduce the cost of agricultural productivity and to respond to the nutritional needs of over 4 million Kenyans were being implemented across various counties. The government is working jointly with FAO to ensure the current drought, which is a stark reminder that climate change and its adverse effects which would continue to affect communities, are effectively addressed.
FAO Country Representative urged the Kenyan government to continue investing in agricultural technology for better harvests. She said Kenya is blessed with arable land which required adoption of technology to make agriculture attractive specifically to youths and subsequently for optimal production. She called for the use of data to make decisions, investment in irrigated agriculture as opposed to over-reliance on rain fed agriculture and for farmers to approach agriculture as a business instead of a way of life.
FAO is presently working with the Ministries of Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development to promote digitalization as well as climate smart related agriculture practices. “We are working together to ensure food and nutrition security through long- and short-term programmes, projects and practices that are sensitive to climate change and sustainable environment conservation in general,” Mucavi said.
This year’s World Food Day celebrations were held in Kajiado, a county adjacent to Nairobi, where months of failed rains is having a heavy toll on the lives and livelihoods of the pastoralist communities.
This event was attended by several dignitaries, including the Deputy President, the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Gender and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) Prof. Margaret Kobia, Chief Administrative Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Lawrence Omuhaka, Hon. Joseph Ole Lenku, the Governor of Kajiado, IFAD Country Director, Mariatu Kamara, Members of Parliament, senior Government Officials. The celebrations were marked in a private farm belonging to Mr. Simon Sunde.
For More Information Contact
Pauline Akolo
Communications Specialist, FAO Kenya
Email: [email protected]