Kenya: United Nations (UN) and World Bank reports warn that climate change will adversely affect the global food system and significantly reduce agricultural productivity. Recognizing this, rural communities in developing countries like Kenya are breaking new ground in agriculture.
Commercial and exotic vegetables are still important in Kenyan diets. Leafy green vegetables are preferred by most people due to their high nutritional value and medicinal properties. They are also easy to propagate. Throughout Kenya, rural communities and smallholder farmers hold invaluable knowledge of local food systems that has been passed down from generation to generation.
They are able to provide nutritious food, interact interdependently with the environment and preserve nature’s rich biodiversity. Several non-profit organizations, such as the GROW Bio-Intensive Agriculture Center of Kenya (G-BLACK), assist smallholder farmers in the selection, conservation and management of indigenous seeds. It also helps protect farmers from damage and crop losses.
Rural communities and smallholder farmers in the East African country have adopted indigenous foods to adapt to climate shocks and build resilience. Hundreds of farming communities have returned to indigenous leafy greens and tubers with the help of various rural outreach programmes.
Successful harvests of local crops. Because local drought tolerant seeds are used. It guarantees a relatively good harvest. The seed is saved for the next planting season. The seeds are transferred to other farmers.
