Agroecologists have called upon Kenyans to adopt a safe food system for sustainability.
Biovision Africa Trust Executive Director David Amudavi has noted the alarming cases of starvation facing millions of Kenyans against the backdrop of large untapped agricultural resources.
Speaking during the launch of the first Eastern Africa agroecology conference in Nairobi on Friday, he said it is disappointing that some Kenyans are starving due to lack of food when just a quarter of the Country’s land is utilized.
The only options to guarantee a steady supply of food for the populace, he added, are the adoption of safe farming practices and the usage of farmer-owned seeds that were traditionally utilised in the nation.
According to Grace Mugo from the Ministry of Agriculture, it is crucial to scale up farming systems based on eco-friendly technology and practices in order to secure their sustainability.
Mugo went on to say that the ministry is heavily involved in the effort to ensure food security in the nation and he urged all participants in the public and private sectors to coordinate their efforts to ensure that interventions for promoting the adoption and sustainability of food are put into action.
Representatives from the African Union-led Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative, led by Alex Mutungi, stated that the continental body is keen on working with regional and national organizations like the Ecological Organic Agriculture entities to ensure the return to sustainable agricultural methods and interventions towards food sustainability are adopted and put into practice.
‘‘We are advocating for safe farming systems that are in sync with the need to slow down the pace of climate change and guarantee a food-secure continent,’’ Mutungi said.
On her part, Ecological Organic Agriculture project manager Venancia Wambua noted that the conference was timely to address issues that had plagued the food production chain.
She expressed the need for concerted efforts to address emerging issues in technologies that have proven unfriendly to the environment and unsustainable to ensure continuous food production.
The launch marks the beginning of a month-long period that will be marked by discussions and plenary sessions by experts across the world in Nairobi to review food systems in the region.
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