How Kenya is losing Sh170bn annually to soil degradation

A maize farmer surveys his degraded land. [File, Standard]

Kenya is losing an estimated Sh170 billion every year to soil degradation, a crisis that experts warn is not only undermining agricultural productivity but also jeopardising the nation’s food security, rural livelihoods and overall economic stability.

The warning comes from David Kersting, Project Manager for the Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security (ProSoil) programme, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Speaking in Kisumu on Wednesday ahead of World Soil Day, Kersting stressed that unless urgent measures are taken, the country’s soils, the backbone of its agricultural economy, will continue to deteriorate, leaving communities more vulnerable to hunger, poverty and climate shocks.