How it started

The Government of Kenya was a signatory to the Johannesburg Plan of Action and was present at the launch of SARD Initiative at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), and now is an active partner in SARD Initiative. Working together with civil society partners and the FAO, the activities within the SARD Initiative are seen as synergistic to other relevant efforts including the Kenyan Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture and efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

During August 2005, Kenya brought the SARD Initiative to the national level at its initial meeting in Thika. This workshop, followed by a second consultation in Nairobi in 2006, resulted in the recognition of eleven Focal Points for the major groups of civil society within the country - including women, youth, consumers, indigenous people, farmers, NGOs, local authorities, workers, business and industries, and science and technology. Kenya Freedom from Hunger Council (KFFHC) was selected as SARD Focal Point for civil society at the workshop, and with its facilitation the national major groups have identifyed, captured and shared SARD good practices of different stakeholders groups. This work is being done in consultation with the Government of Kenya, especially through the Agricultural Sector Coordinating Unit (ASCU) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The latter has the responsibility for reporting to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).

Accomplishments

KFFHC and the National major group focal points, through consultation with their constituency group members, identified and documented six good practices focusing on community management of pastoralist slaughterhouse, promotion of bio-intensive agriculture, efficient utilization of water through gravity irrigation, promotion of self-help groups among others outstanding subjects. Subsequently, between May and June 2006, six major groups organized and carried out an equal number of community learning exchanges visits to different successful projects in the districts of Kakamega, Maragua, Bungoma, Laikipia and Kisii. The participants in each exchange visits included the hosts (organizations that have initiated the practice, the community members that implement the practice and the beneficiaries in a wider sense) and the visitors (major group focal points, external community leaders and innovators). The community exchanges fostered the multi-major group dialogue and provided an interactive learning forum on good practices for SARD; policy implications, issues and opportunities for adoption, adaptation and up-scaling for wider impact on the poor were analyzed. For detail information please read KFFHC final report.

Useful links on National MG Focal Points

To read the six good practices go to the SARD Initiative Good Practices Database

Government of Kenya

Kenya Ministry of Agriculture

UN Kenya

National Environment Management Authority, NEMA