Agriculture is a critical sector for poverty reduction and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. In 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture launched the Agriculture Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy as the main initiative for the development and growth of the said sector. This is in line with the Ministry’s functions of policy formulation, capacity development, and agricultural research. To achieve these key functions, there is a need for continuity of research in the implementation cycle, information sharing between policymakers and stakeholders of the agriculture sector, evidence-based policies and programs, and learning pathways to ensure policy implementation.

Connecting policymakers and implementing partners, IPA Kenya and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development hosted an event called “Maximizing Food Security Through Innovation and Practice: Evidence on What Works.” This session presented an opportunity for the agriculture stakeholders to consider effective evidence and its relevance to the ongoing or planned policy reforms and sector strategies. Key lessons and recommendations from IPA’s research were discussed to encourage the dialogue of policymakers on the future national research agenda, policy reforms, and programming.

The event focused on the theme of enhancing food security, particularly on the following topics:

• Farm subsidies and insurance
• Youth and agribusiness
• Climate-smart agriculture for enhanced food security
• Land policy vis-à-vis agricultural policy in relation to food security
• Adopting technology use in agriculture and smart farming 
• Informing the mechanization policy
• Agro-processing and value-addition
• Food management

City

Nairobi

Country

Kenya