EU calls for increased investment in research to ensure food security

The EU’s ambassador to Kenya and Head of delegation Lodewijk Briet says it is part of a wider development strategy to develop agriculture and increase food production. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By JAMES ANYANZWA

NAIROBI, KENYA: The European Union (EU) has called for increased investment in research and technology to combat the challenges of food insecurity in the country.

The Union’s ambassador to Kenya and Head of delegation Lodewijk Briet said research and clear thinking on how to improve food and farming production is critical in fighting poverty and improving the livelihoods of many households in Africa.

Mr Briet said the long-standing partnership between the EU and the African Union (AU) has helped to improve veterinary services, fishing and livestock practices and resources.

This, he said, has had a real impact on millions of lives across the continent. He also underscored the need to take a regional and sometimes continental approach to tackling the fundamental challenges facing African agriculture.

“It is part of a wider development strategy to develop agriculture and increase food productions,” said Briet. This, he added, has seen the EU support research and development to develop drought resistant species, spread best practice in conservation agriculture, improving efficiencies in farming.

“We are also supporting critical sectors like coffee and sugar and helping to prepare communities for the hardships caused by climate change,” Briet said at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the African Union’s Inter-African bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in developing farming and livestock development on the continent in Nairobi yesterday.

The EU has been the main financier of the AU-IBAR over its 50 years of existence.

Over the past four years the EU has contributed Sh15 billion towards eradicating rinderpest and providing benefits to 350 million households in Africa who rely on animals and livestock for their livelihoods.

The partnership between the EU and AU-IBAR has improved veterinary services in Africa and provided support to the fishing industry through better environmental protection, improved licensing for fishing and enhanced trade and export policies.

CONSUMER SAFETY

Other benefits include better management of high quality breeds of livestock and improvements to the international standards for the export of livestock and better consumer safety in Africa.

The EU support has created a surveillance system in Africa, which gives early warning of problems that could impact livestock such as the spread of Avian flu.

Support has also been extended to science and research establishments to improve animal health.

Assistance has been accorded to African countries that are participating in World Trade Organisations (WTO) negotiations.

Last year, the performance of the agricultural sector, which contributes about 23 per cent of the country’s GDP, declined partly due to poor rainfall and unfavourable international prices for key export crops.

The sector’s growth slowed to 2.9 per cent in 2013 against a growth of 3.8 per cent in 2012. In 2011 it registered a growth of 1.5 per cent.

According to the just released Government’s Economic Survey (2014) overall value of marketed production slowed to Sh344.61 billion from Sh334.73 billion partly due to depressed production of certain major crops including maize, beans, coffee, cut flowers and fruits.

The sector was however boosted by increased production of tea, wheat, vegetables, potatoes and sugar cane on account of good prices paid to farmers in 2013.

INTERNATIONAL PRICES

Unfavourable international prices coupled with lower production of coffee and tea resulted in a contraction of earnings by 29 per cent ––and 5.5 per cent respectively.

In the horticulture subsector the value of marketed fresh produce declined by 7.9 per cent in 2013 on account of low export volumes and depressed unit prices in the international market.

The horticultural sub-sector in Kenya plays a major role in meeting domestic needs for food, the generation of income and foreign exchange and creation of employment.

An estimated 1.8 million people are believed to be currently employed in the sub-sector.