MAFAP team meets with Kenya delegation to discuss agrifood policy support
Today, the Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) team held a bilateral meeting with the Kenyan delegation attending the FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum to take stock of the MAFAP programme’s portfolio of work in Kenya and explore areas of interest for additional technical support for the design of agrifood policies and investments.
The main item on the agenda was MAFAP’s support for an analysis of public spending on food and agriculture in Kenya. In collaboration with national partners, MAFAP is updating its public expenditure database and indicators for Kenya, which will offer a fresh insight into spending patterns and solidify the evidence for a better allocation of public funds to achieve inclusive agricultural transformation and food security and nutrition.
The meeting also gave an opportunity to discuss areas of interest and policy issues which may receive technical support from MAFAP. The Kenyan delegation expressed interest in reviewing the several fertilizer subsidy schemes implemented between 2018 and 2023 to assess their impact on the overall allocation of public funds towards the food and agricultural sector.
Interest emerged around climate-smart budgeting and the possibility to optimize the impact of allocating public funds on agricultural GDP, off-farm job creation and reduction of rural poverty while also accounting for the impact of climate change on the efficiency of public spending.
The meeting took place during FAO’s flagship Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum - a platform for countries to pitch investment opportunities to investors and donors.
It was attended by several members of the MAFAP team including Emiliano Magrini (Economist), Valentina Pernechele (Economist) and Thibault Meilland (Policy Advisor) and led by Marco V. Sánchez Cantillo (Deputy Director of Agrifood Economics).
The Kenyan delegation was led by Hon. John Mueke (Principal Secretary for Livestock), Ambassador Connie Nkatha Maina (Deputy Head of Mission); Mr. Anthony Muriithi (Agriculture Attaché and Alternate Permanent Representative to FAO); Mr. Andrew Mwadime (Governor of Taita Taveta County); Dr. Jacktone Achola (County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Kajiado County); Ms. Evelyne Heyi (Principal Agriculture Officer at the State Department for Crop Development); Dr. Mary Mabei Mwale (Head of Food Security and Nutrition at the State Department for Crop Development); Dr. Stanley Mutua (Animal Feed Specialist at the State Department for Livestock).