Bilateral meeting with the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Kenya – His Excellency Jonathan Mueke

Rome – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and His Excellency Jonathan Mueke, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of the Republic of Kenya met at the sidelines of the Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation, held at FAO headquarters from 25 - 27 September 2023, in Rome.

The two had a fruitful discussion on the important role the livestock sector has in addressing food insecurity, the climate crisis and potential to drive economic growth.

The Principal Secretary shared with the Director-General an update on the prioritization taking place in Kenya to achieve agricultural transformation and inclusive growth through climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as job opportunities for youth in different value chains. He proceeded to focus on the needs of the livestock sector highlighting the need for optimized and sustainable livestock production with improved livestock feed and animal health management.

The Director-General underlined Kenya’s huge potential and the considerable work done. He specifically highlighted the benefits of a circular economy not only to support the livestock sector, but agrifood systems transformation in a holistic manner. He noted that through the FAO Green Cities Initiative, which focuses on improving the urban environment, strengthening urban-rural linkages and the resilience of urban food systems, services and populations to external shocks, Kenya would be able to address agrifood system transformation through urban and peri-urban forestry, which would also benefit the horticulture, livestock and aquaculture sectors.