NATURE+ supports Kenyan smallholders with equipment, training for value-added agrobiodiversity production
CGIAR New January 25 2025
Smallholder custodians of agricultural biodiversity in two Western Kenyan counties now have the equipment and training needed to produce value-added products derived from their crops. The solar-powered dryers, winnowers, threshers, and vacuum-packing units safeguard crops and seeds from inclement weather, open new markets for products derived from local agrobiodiversity, and reduce labor demands, particularly for women and children.
By Rachel Kibui, NATURE+, with thanks to Dr. Carlo Fadda
Smallholder farmers have been urged to adopt collective farming, diversify their agricultural practices, and embrace value addition to improve food security, reduce post-harvest losses, enhance their economic standing, and create employment opportunities. These actions will empower smallholders and provide long-term sustainability to their farming ventures.
Promoting seed diversity, ensuring food security
Between 2018 and 2021, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (the Alliance), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Benefit-sharing Fund, took significant action to promote and protect seed biodiversity to support food security in Western Kenya. Three community seedbanks were established—one in Vihiga County and two in Kisumu County. These seedbanks are crucial to conserving traditional crop varieties such as sorghum, finger millet, beans, leafy vegetables, and maize. These crops are integral to food security and contribute to maintaining agrobiodiversity.
Recognizing the need for a more sustainable model, the Alliance decided to enhance these seedbanks, creating linkages between the crops produced from these seeds and the potential for value addition and marketing. This shift aimed to elevate smallholder farmers’ production and economic returns by integrating post-harvest processing and access to new markets.
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