Practical Action and partners convened the Regenerative Agriculture Conference in Kisumu to provide an opportunity for participants to share learnings and experiences in implementing its programmes.
The event advanced the transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture, a farming approach that uses natural methods to improve productivity while enhancing the health of soils and biodiversity.
The event which ran from 11th to 13th September 2023 enabled conversations on policy, markets, youths and research related to regenerative farming.
According to Susan Maina, Country Director, Practical Action Kenya, the conference provided an opportunity to exchange learnings and experiences in implementing regenerative agriculture programmes.
Maina said stakeholders shared what is working, what is not and what needs to be done.
“It was an opportunity to expand regenerative agriculture amid the negative environmental, economic and social impacts of intensive agriculture and the rising consumer demand for healthy and safe food. Systems change, including markets, policy and research, will make regenerative agriculture viable,” she added.
The event brought together county governments, Non-Governmental Organisations, donors, researchers, the private sector and young agripreneurs.
It featured plenary and panel discussions, high-level speeches, exhibitions, presentations and field visits to farmers practising regenerative agriculture principles and methods in Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties.
The conference saw the official launch of the Agroecology Toolkit, a knowledge resource providing technical guidance on regenerative agriculture methods to farmers, extension workers and other interested parties.
The Agroecology Stakeholders’ Network (AESTANET) developed the toolkit with Practical Action’s support. In addition, the results of research studies on regenerative farming methods will be unveiled.
The conference concluded with a Call to Action to add momentum to efforts to scale regenerative agriculture.
During the conference, Practical Action shared learnings and achievements from our five-year project, Transforming Rural Economies and Youth Livelihoods (TREYL) supported by the IKEA Foundation.
The initiative, now in its final year, has been promoting regenerative agriculture and agribusinesses among 6,000 young people in Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties since 2019.
It has the goal of impacting 80,000 young people.TREYL has contributed to increased incomes for young agripreneurs, improved soil health and women empowerment.
While regenerative agriculture is emerging as economically competitive as conventional production systems, it is yet to be widely used in Kenya.
Traditionally, farmers in Africa have used various regenerative practices to grow food but with the expansion of intensive agriculture, these methods have gradually been abandoned.