Kenya

This review consists of two parts. Part one takes a closer look at implementation strategies and models of community seed production practices, while part two focuses on lessons learned and future perspectives. The study covers five case studies in Africa and is based on an analysis of different published and unpublished sources on seed production and seed delivery with a focus on farmer seed management and commercial seed. The review was also informed by interviews with seed system practitioners. »

The AfricaInteract Continental Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya in March 2015. More than 200 delegates attended the conference. At the conference, this synthesis report (PDF) on adaptation on climate change in Africa was launched. The report contains findings and assessment of gaps in research and policy on three separate themes: urban areas, agriculture and health. It provides a synthesis of key headline findings from 12 regional reviews on research-policy linkages on adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. »

This article (PDF) in The African Journal of Food, Agriculture, and Development elaborates on mitigation strategies used to prevent the impact of droughts on livestock and food security in Mwingi, Kenya. Since in Mwingi, people’s primary source of income is keeping livestock, the impacts on livelihoods were severe when during a previous drought almost half of the livestock died. Therefore a new integrated and collaborative approach was developed to mitigate both immediate and long-term effects. »

Currently, fruit consumption in Eastern Africa is far below recommended allowances and has implications for micronutrient malnutrition while little is known about the patterns and determinants of fruit production, consumption and marketing. The main research question of this paper (PDF) by Bioversity International and the World Agroforestry Centre was therefore: what are key trends in gender-disaggregated preferences, attitudes and decision-making processes of rural households for fruit consumption, production, and income generated from this activity? »

This paper in the Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin is the outcome of a study on the international partner project “Changing Gender Roles in Sub-Saharan Horticultural Family Farming” funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. A qualitative case study was carried out to understand the impacts on gender inequality of the integration of horticultural smallholdings into the fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) supply chain to the European market. »

This publication (PDF) is intended to support the World Bank project “Agroweather Tools for Adapting to Climate Change” in increasing the adaptive capacity of farming communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. The author refers to the creation of financially sustainable weather observation networks in Guinea and the Philippines that are likely applicable to many developing settings, including those of East Africa and the Horn of Africa. The study recommends investment in early warning systems for weather and investment in climate-smart agriculture to help farmers mitigate effects of harsh weather. »