Transforming Kenya’s Food Systems and Establishing a Science-Policy Interface

The 1st Kenya Food Systems Conference, held in Nairobi in early April and organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) and the CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS), had two key aims: to come up with a set of recommendations to guide food system transformation policies over the coming years and work out how to enhance the dialogue between scientists and policymakers.

Kenya is a land of massive opportunities, possessing abundant natural resources and great potential for scaling up agricultural production and the transformation of its food system. It has a young, well-educated population – 35% of its 53 million inhabitants are below the age of 35 – and it is an important hub for agrifood tech start-ups. It also has a wealth of national and international research institutions which will play a key role in the country’s future agricultural transformation.