Inclusive and sustainable agriculture
Climate change is disrupting rainfall pattern and making it harder for smallholder farmers in Kenya and East Africa to reliably grow crops. Drought resistant crops such as Cassava can make an important contribution towards shock-proofing food systems especially in sub-Saharan Africa, with ability to produce a good harvest in hot, dry conditions. It is an ideal for adapting to stressful growing conditions caused by the climate crisis, such as the current drought affecting millions of agriculture-dependent communities in East Africa.
We aim to improve access to healthy diets and foster economic inclusion, hence the need to support smallholder farmers and especially women farmers with training, inputs, tools and strategies that will help them sustainably increase production of healthy foods and equip them with ways to tap into the commercial side of processed produce. We are working with smallholder farmers to adapt sustainable farming practices and climate-smart crop varieties and to promote food systems that are sustainable, equitable and inclusive. In this project we are promoting alternatives to inorganic fertilisers, such as cultivation of nitrogen-fixing legumes that promotes regeneration of The Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).
This project aims to create real opportunities for Kenyan smallholder farmers, make farming more sustainable, accessible, and profitable which will allow smallholder farmers to create a better life for their families and communities. Planned activities leading to the successful growth, processing, and marketing of this crop’s product will be implemented. With the program expected outcomes being specifically to improve cassava yields, cassava root quality, cassava supply to the processing sector, and farmers training, engaging over 100,000 households in Kenya, and facilitating the engagement of at least 50% women farmers.
- To increase the production and productivity for cassava- improve food security and income.
- To facilitate market development for cassava
- Establish enabling environment for development of cassava industry
In this project we are providing and distribution high-yielding varieties of cassava, on-farm training on appropriate agronomic technologies and management practices, provision of off-grid solar powered smart storage solutions, market linkages and manufacture of processing machines, production, processing, and marketing of the processed products. We are encouraging farmers to grow cassava intercropped with legumes or vegetables which if left in the field, can help maintain soil fertility.
As the cost of food continues to rise around the world driven mostly by the Ukraine war and climate change, the risk of food security and malnutrition grows. These challenges can be addressed by empowering and supporting smallholder farmers to access more resilient, productive crop varieties and climate-smart agriculture. To truly solve the food crisis, we are addressing the root causes by building resilient food systems and supporting the smallholder farmers with a strong focus on women farmers. Smallholder farmers are among the most impacted by climate crisis. By promoting economic inclusivity for smallholder farmers benefits rural communities and keeps our planet healthy. Therefore, smallholder farmers are essential to sustainably overcoming climate change while improving nutrition and livelihoods for rural communities.
In this program, KiotaSIC aims to restore indigenous drought resistant crops (mainly cassava) in ASAL land and equip farmers with better yielding and disease resistant seedlings. This shall improve the yield. Further, we shall tackle losses by providing innovative storage solutions at proximity to the farmers. Once the yield problem is successfully addressed, the next challenge becomes market access.
KiotaSIC is already securing potential market and hence value adding the produce to the quality standards demanded by the better paying industrial starch and dried chips’ clientele in the region. We provide end-to-end solution due to our innovative approach that has led us to partner with industry experts in Biotechnology, Agronomy and Manufacturing to provide the different solutions we need in every stage of the value chain.
For instance, our partner KASP3R Technologies has a track record turnkey project of this nature. Most recent being Design, Manufacture, Install and Commissioning of an entire cassava processing plant in neighbouring Uganda.
Images of Cassava processing Machines and Plant for a client in Uganda
Implementation Areas
- Coast: Taita Taveta County and Kilifi County
- Eastern: Kitui County and Makueni County
- Western: Busia County
Project Scope: Pilot for 250 Farmers, 2,500 Tonnes of Cassava
- Farmer Mobilization
- Farmer Upskilling
- Seedling Distribution
- Tuber Harvesting and Processing
- Market Access