PELUM Kenya together with like-minded partners organized the 2nd National Agroecology Symposium under the theme “ Scaling up agroecology initiatives for soil health, climate resilience, economic stability, and sustainable healthy food systems
The symposium aimed to foster dialogue on transitioning Kenya’s food systems towards sustainability. Over 450 participants, including representatives from government, academia, civil society organizations, farmers, researchers, private sector players, development partners, and consumers, attended the event. Following discussions, presentations, and recommendations, the symposium underscored agroecology’s transformative potential for Kenya’s food systems, calling for concrete actions to drive this shift. This call to action also revisits and acknowledges core action areas from the inaugural agroecology symposium held last year.
Among the achievements of the Call to Action from the 1st National Agroecology Symposium include;
- The National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation was launched and an M&E framework and a County domestication guide is being developed.
- The Conservation, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulation at public participation , Vegetatively Propagating Seeds Regulation at the Attorney General for finalization and launch.
Therefore, this 2nd National Agroecology Symposium now calls for the following actions:
The National Government should;
- Operationalize the proposed governance structure to effectively steer and guide implementation of the NAS-FST.
- Support the County Government to domesticate and implement the NAS-FST.
- Mainstream agroecology in the extension education curriculum
- Allocate and ring fence at least 10% of the agriculture budget to agroecology
- Prioritize and include agroecological products in the government procurement for public institutions
- Mainstream agroecology in the Ministry, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
- Promote the adoption of agroecological inputs for agricultural production.
- Fast track the creation of an enabling environment for Bioinputs.
- Support agroecological related research and research output dissemination to enhance agroecology adoption.
The County Governments should;
- Domesticate and Implement the NAS-FST in the County Level
- Promote market development for agroecological produce
- Foster Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for agroecological transformation
- Retrain and equip extension services providers on Agroecology
- Allocate and ring fence at least 10% of the C agriculture budget to agroecology
- Integrate agroecology in the investment plan and CIDPs
- Be intentional in contributing to holistic assessment of food systems by ensuring their respective county priorities are integrated in national monitoring and reporting frameworks
The Development Partners should;
- Increase and redirect funding and technical support towards agroecology initiatives
- Demand mainstreaming of agroecology in bilateral negotiations with Kenya
- Increase scope of funded initiatives to all agroecological zones
The Civil Society Organizations should;
- Support the domestication and implementation of NAS-FST
- Promote consumer demand and behavior change
- Strengthen agroecology leadership and movements
- Foster multi-stakeholder collaboration and shared ownership
Research and Academia should;
- Address critical research gaps in agroecology, including cost-benefit analyses, soil health metrics, agro-biodiversity, and land tenure impacts.
- Co-create solutions with farmers and communities through transdisciplinary and participatory research.
- Promote knowledge translation and uptake by making agroecology research available in farmer-friendly formats.
- Integrate agroecology into education curricula.
Private Sector should;
- Enhance investment in the development of agroecological inputs.
- Financial institutions and agri-fintechs should design appropriate financial products for agroecology.
- Create and champion inclusive and transparent markets for agroecological produce.
Farmers should;
- Adopt, adapt, and disseminate agroecological practices.
- Conserve and share traditional seed varieties and indigenous food knowledge.
- Demand for policies and extension services that reflect lived realities and amplify farmer voices in decision-making spaces.
- Advocate for inclusion of AE projects in the CIDPS and county annual budgets.
- Establish agroecology cooperatives and marketing groups to improve bargaining power and reduce market exploitation.
Consumers should;
- Buy agro ecological and local foods.
- Celebrate and preserve food culture diversity, recognizing food as a source of identity, health, and resilience.
- Engage in food system dialogues and governance to demand accountability in food systems
Wayforward/Next
- The organizers and partners will elaborate the proposed call to action into an action plan that will be reported in the next Agroecology Symposium.
- PELUM Kenya and other partners under the umbrella of ISFAA will take lead in implementation of the proposed call to action in the 2nd Agroecology symposium.
Closing Remarks
Agroecology is not just a farming approach – it is a paradigm shift toward ecological balance, social justice, and food system sovereignty. The 2nd National Agroecology Symposium reaffirms that Kenya’s future lies in the hands of its farmers, consumers, and communities. Let us rise with one voice – across all sectors and counties – to champion agroecology as the cornerstone of Kenya’s resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food future.
“We call on all stakeholders to move beyond dialogue to action. The time for agroecology is now.”
