The African Group of Negotiators Expert Support, (AGNES) is set to hold a two-day subnational workshop on accelerating Smallholder Agriculture Adaptation in Kenya’s central highland areas. AGNES in partnership with Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) will hold the workshop in Nyeri-Kenya on 18th and 19th July 2024. The impacts of climate change on smallholder farmers in the Central Highlands is an area of focus for this workshop. The region contributes 35% of Kenya’s agricultural output and is thus very vulnerable to climatic changes. There are certain climate change strategies that have been instituted by the respective counties such as County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) and the Central Kenya Region Economic Bloc (CEREB). As such, AGNES and its partners envision further supplementing such endeavors with action research that may strengthen the approaches to local adaptation. This event will be centered on the acknowledgment of the best practices, future research directions, and locally-developed adaptation to enhance agriculture resilience.
The Central Highlands Region
The Central Highlands Region which is reputed for being the food basket of Kenya provides 35% of national agricultural output. Farmers in this region have been greatly affected by climate change in one way or the other. Agriculture is retarded by high rainfall inconsistencies, frequent dry seasons, growing floods and mudslides. A report from the Kenya Meteorological Department shows that rivers are becoming shallow hence affecting irrigation and resulting in water shortages in areas such as Nyeri, Kiambu, and Meru. Such climatic variation hampers agriculture production and challenges food security. To address these challenges, counties adopted strategies such as County Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and the Central Kenya Region Economic Bloc (CEREB). It is the goal of the AGNES workshop to provide these strategies with specific, evidence-based adaptation measures.
Who are we expecting?
- Technical officers at agricultural and environment ministries across the counties
- Practitioners with strong working links across the region Local Researchers.
- Representatives of Farmer organizations.
- Community Leaders.
What we are looking to achieve
The objectives of the sub-national baseline workshop are to:
- Introduce all stakeholders to the goals and expected outputs of the projects and how they will input into the process
- Identify risk observed impacts of climate change.
- Identify best practices and locally led adaptation options for small-scale farmers.
- Identify adaptation gaps within the agriculture sector.
- Identify areas of research and research priorities for adaptation in the agricultural section.
Key Discussions and Activities
The workshop will consist of plenary sessions, thematic discussions, and subgroup work. Stakeholder presentations at plenary sessions will focus on climate change effects on agriculture and possible interventions. Open debates will revolve around existing locally-led adaptation processes, research needs, and expected future climate impacts. They will focus on particular adaptation measures in relation to drought and water issues. In a nutshell, these are the areas of discussion:
- Climate change risks and observed impacts in Central Highlands Region.
- Best practices and adaptation strategies for small-scale farmers.
- Adaptation needs, gaps, and research priorities to support agricultural adaptation.
Expected Outcomes
A draft report containing the sub-national priority adaptation actions, and available locally led adaptation options that can effectively help small-scale farmers cope with the impacts of climate change.