Kenya has joined the rest of the world in making a commitment to address food and
nutrition insecurity in order to end hunger by 2030,
In order to combat food insecurity, the government of Kenya and sixty other countries
have vowed to take immediate action to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
During the 2023 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), which took place in
Berlin, Germany, this was settled.
Mithika Linturi, the cabinet secretary for agriculture and livestock development, is
dedicated to promoting resilient and sustainable food systems by empowering the
agricultural and food sectors to produce sustainably, reduce inequality, and bounce back
swiftly from crises.
The Kenyan delegation to the global forum in Germany is being led by Linturi.
“We acknowledge that agriculture is an economically and socially viable industry that
gives farmers and rural communities a fair living and working conditions. To attain food
security, special consideration must be given to smallholders, women, young people,
and members of marginalized and vulnerable groups, according to Linturi.
Linturi stated that his ministry will collaborate with other agriculture ministers
throughout the world to make sure that everyone has access to safe, affordable, healthy
food.
The biennial Global Agriculture Ministers’ Conference featured at least 64 countries and
its focus was “Food Systems Transformation: A Worldwide Response to Multiple
Crises.”
As a means of addressing the various challenges affecting global food security, the
conference focuses on the transformation of agrifood systems.
These include the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change.
The CS pledged that his ministry will work to guarantee that young people in rural
regions are inspired to pursue careers in agriculture as a method to increase food
production there.
“My Ministry will start developing ways to encourage young people around the nation to
work in agriculture in accordance with the 2023 Global Agriculture Ministers
Conference,” said Linturi.
Additionally, he gave farmers his word that his ministry would improve their
understanding of integrated soil fertility management, encourage adoption of it, and
promote soil health in order to increase food production.
He continued, “The Kenyan government currently provides farmers with subsidized
fertilizer, and we anticipate that this will increase our yields when our farmers harvest
their crops.
Utilizing mineral and organic fertilizers efficiently and sustainably, as well as using
planting strategies like catch crops, can save input costs.
We pledge to decrease usage, boost effectiveness, and lessen the environmental impact
of using all fertilisers.
In order to accomplish the 2030 Agenda on SDGs, the agriculture ministers from all
around the world agreed that it is critical to move immediately to expedite and increase
cooperative efforts to address the present food crisis.
The resolutions’ main concerns are on developing resilient and sustainable food
systems, promoting climate-friendly food systems, encouraging biodiversity
conservation and sustainable use, and enhancing international cooperation for
sustainable food systems.
Germany In reading the resolutions, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem
zdemir emphasized the significance of acting to address the present food crisis in order
to achieve food and nutrition security.
In order to attain the SDGs through sustainable food systems, we stress the significance
of acting to address the current food crisis. This should be carried out in a
comprehensive and integrated manner, as was discussed at the UN Food Systems
Summit. We will quicken and step up our collective efforts because we only have seven
years left to execute the 2030 Agenda, Zdemir remarked.
By 2030, the Agriculture Ministers also vowed to support energy-efficient farming and
food production practices as well as the urgent need to stop and reverse biodiversity loss
and environmental degradation.
Zdemir continued by saying that the Ministers had pledged to offer farmers and
pastoralists locally adapted, climate-resilient animal breeds, sustainably managed
landscapes, and greater resilience while preserving biodiversity.
Tom Amolo, the ambassador of Kenya to Germany, praised the positive developments
between Kenya and Germany in a number of areas.
“Kenya and Germany will commemorate 60 years of industry-specific collaboration. At
the moment, Kenya is principally supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development in the areas of sustainable economic
development, energy, transport, and climate change, according to Amolo.
Additionally, Linturi spoke with Baerbel Kofler, Germany’s State Secretary for the
Ministry of Economic and Development Cooperation, and Cristel Weller-Molongua, the
head of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
He also met Hermann Farber, the head of the German-Africa Foundation, and Uschi
Eid, the chairwoman of the German parliamentary committee on food and agriculture.
