The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has renewed its 5-year collaboration of one of its leading policy support initiatives – the Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme – with the Government of Kenya to reform agrifood policies to accelerate inclusive agricultural transformation and benefit the sector, the economy, as well as food security and nutrition. 

Over the next five years, the MAFAP programme will support Kenya to monitor, prioritize and reform policies and investments in food and agriculture to support the implementation of the country’s Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS). More specifically, the meeting discussed collaboration on monitoring public spending to better understand expenditure patterns, priorities and bottlenecks including at national and county levels. 

Furthermore, officials also laid the groundwork for understanding how public policies and market dynamics affect price incentives for farmers, which can ultimately influence their decisions to produce and trade a commodity. The twelve commodities to be analysed are: cow milk, cassava, coffee, cotton, dry beans, maize, potatoes, rice, sugar, sorghum, tea, and wheat.

The Director of Policy from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Christopher Wanga said the government supports the development, review and implementation of policies. “That is our business. We are therefore grateful for this collaboration with FAO through the MAFAP programme,” he said.

“Like many countries around the world in these times, Kenya is looking to rethink, repurpose and reform its policies on food and agriculture”, said Marco V. Sánchez, Deputy Director of Agrifood Economics at FAO. “FAO is proud to support Kenya with economic analyses and policy advice to help accelerate inclusive agricultural transformation and promote better nutrition and easier market access for farmers”, added Sánchez.

After the meeting, the MAFAP team will lead two training sessions on public spending and price incentives analyses to strengthen the capabilities of key institutions including the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Council of Governors, the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization, and the Agriculture and Food Authority. 

The FAO MAFAP programme has previously supported Kenya with economic indicators on agricultural price distortions in a dozen value chains, and on the level and composition of public expenditure towards the agriculture sector. These outputs informed the first National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP 2019–2024) under the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) 2019–2029.

FAO Kenya Representative Carla Mucavi pleasantly mentioned that Kenya is one of the 8 main MAFAP partner countries. She noted the complexity of agrifood systems stating that, “this complexity and dynamism calls for continuous improvement, based on evidence and sound analysis to better understand the implications of our programmes and policies here on the ground and for the people of Kenya”, she said.

Attending the MAFAP III 2022–2027 inception workshop that was held in Nairobi were representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development as well as the Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Development, Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, National Treasury and Planning, and Ministry of Trade Investment and Industry.

About the MAFAP Programme at FAO

The Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme is a leading policy support programme at FAO that works with countries in Africa to strategically prioritize, reform and implement food and agricultural policies. By monitoring and analysing public budgets and trade and market policies, MAFAP guides governments to reform their agricultural support to accelerate the transformation of agriculture and food systems. It also collaborates with policymakers to identify priorities for policy and investment reforms in key commodity value chains, and supports implementation to ensure that changes create more nutritious food systems and inclusive markets. The Programme is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For further information, please contact:

Pauline Akolo

Communication Specialist

FAO Kenya

Email: [email protected]

Craig George Lawson

Communication Specialist

ESA

Email: [email protected]