This recent development came during the 2023 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin, Germany. During this programme the Kenyan government promised to be proactive in working towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to address food insecurity.
The annual global Agriculture Ministers’ Conference whose theme for this year was “Food Systems Transformation: A Worldwide Response to Multiple Crises,” had approximately 64 national representatives from all across the globe.
Mithika Linturi, Kenya’s Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary, who was at the forefront of this conversation, noted that Kenya is dedicated to this cause, and is all in to promote sustainable and resilient food systems by enabling the agricultural and food sectors to produce sustainably, close the inequality gap and recover quickly from crises.
“We recognise that agriculture is economically and socially viable and provides a decent income and decent working conditions for farmers and rural communities. Particular attention needs to be given to smallholders, women, youth and people in vulnerable and marginalized groups in order to achieve food security,” he said.
Linturi, also noted that he alongside agricultural ministers from committed nations would work hand in hand in securing safe and nutritious food for the globe, which would both be available, accessible and affordable.
The minister also noted that his office would work to encourage youth participation in agriculture, particularly youths residing in the rural areas.
“In line with the 2023 global agriculture Ministers conference, my Ministry will initiate strategies to attract the youth to join farming across the country,” he said.
“The Kenyan government is already distributing subsidized fertilizer to farmers and we expect this to boost our yields when our farmers harvest their crops,” the minister added.
