FAO signs a USD 5m KOICA funded project with UN Women
Nairobi - Kenya: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN Women have today jointly signed a USD 5million project funded by the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA).
The four year project seeks to strengthen women’s capacity to meaningfully engage in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in three Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Counties of Laikipia, West Pokot and Kitui.
“We recognize that food security starts and ends with women, who account for 60-75 percent of the labour force in smallholder agriculture in Kenya, as well as in many other countries in Africa. It is therefore very crucial to leave no one behind in the quest to attaining food and nutrition security for all,” said The FAO representative to Kenya Mrs Carla Mucavi during the project signing.
Beginning 2020, the project seeks to promote an approach to agricultural transformation in a changing climate in the Kenyan ASALs that ensures gender-sensitive responses to climate change and to resilience building.
Within the four year period the project intends to increase technical know-how of farmers on Climate-Smart Agriculture approaches, unlock market driven value-chains for women and improve their capacity to participate in productive land and water management, as well as increase the women in agribusiness’ access to finance.
“Women’s economic empowerment is central to achieving gender equality. It is therefore paramount that, in a country where women feature so heavily in the agriculture sector, that related programmes support women. Women are disproportionately affected by overlapping challenges of poverty and food insecurity caused by floods, droughts, locusts and now COVID. Incorporating climate smart approaches will contribute to building women’s resilience, self-reliance and economic security,” said Anna Mutavati, the UN Women Kenya Country Representative.
Strategic agency collaboration
The Food and Agriculture Organization is working in collaboration with the UN Women in this project as a strategic partnership to realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that focus gender equity (SDG 5), zero hunger (SDG2), no poverty (SDG1) and climate action (SDG13) among many other national, regional and global goals.
Evidence shows that adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture practices significantly mitigates the frequent climate shocks the smallholder farmers encounter during droughts and floods, and in times of food and pasture scarcity.
“I see this project precisely addressing KOICA Kenya's focus sector, which is empowering rural women to better adapt to climate change. With partnership with FAO and UN Women which have accumulated wealth of experience to this end, I am convinced KOICA can facilitate sustainable change in Kenya,” said Mr. Jang Hee Im, KOICA Kenya Office Country Director.
KOICA supports agriculture and food security, among other areas, with the aim of reflecting Korea’s comparative advantage, while at the same time corresponding to the SDGs, as well as the priority for the development of our partner countries. KOICA Kenya strives to establish a sustainable basis of food value chain; improve people’s living environment; and push forward with inclusive and sustainable regional development in a bid to improve the welfare of the rural community in Kenya. As change drivers, KOICA works towards realizing the social value globally in collaboration with the UN agncies and other partners.
A key source of livelihood
Agricultural production remains the main source of income for most rural communities, and the increased risk of crop and livestock production failure, associated with increased frequency of extreme climate events, poses a major threat to food security and poverty reduction.
Adaptation of the agricultural sector to the adverse effects of climate change is thus an important priority, to protect and improve the livelihoods of the poor and to ensure food security.
With little resilience to climatic changes, economic and social shocks, smallholder farmers in ASAL counties have become extremely vulnerable to food insecurity. In addition to that, climate change increases the uncertainty as most of the households are unaware of the fast-changing environment.
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