Kenya is set to benefit from a US$4.3 million grant from the European Union (EU) aimed at bolstering agricultural productivity for roughly 40,000 smallholder farmers across six counties.
- •The three-year program, implemented by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with national and county authorities, will focus on soil restoration, climate-smart farming, and agroecological practices.
- •Dubbed the Investing in Livelihood Resilience and Soil Health (ILSA) initiative, the project targets Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Embu, Kilifi, Makueni, and Taita Taveta.
- •These counties were selected based on climate vulnerability, agricultural potential, and capacity to integrate interventions into existing programs.
“We looked at counties already experiencing climate stress, where productivity improvements are possible, and where county governments have shown readiness to integrate these interventions into existing agricultural programmes,” said IFAD Country Director for Kenya, Mariatu Kamara.
The initiative will expand on previous EU-backed efforts under the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme–Climate Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods (KCEP-CRAL), which has provided digital e-voucher access to farm inputs for smallholder farmers in 13 counties since 2015.
“The objective is to enhance soil fertility, reduce land degradation, and increase agro-ecosystem resilience. These interventions are essential to improving crop yields, food security, and household incomes,” State Department for Agriculture Secretary of Administration Rashid Khator said.
The current program leverages similar digital delivery mechanisms to connect farmers to private-sector suppliers for seeds, fertilizers, bio-inputs, and post-harvest technologies. It will also emphasize sustainability, embedding interventions in county structures to ensure continuity beyond the grant period. Activities will include soil testing, agroforestry, climate-smart techniques, and digital training programs aimed at improving crop yields, food security, and household incomes.
For counties grappling with degraded soils and shifting rainfall patterns, the program represents a strategic attempt to scale up proven approaches rather than experiment with untested solutions. By linking farmers directly to inputs and technical support, it seeks to transform subsistence farms into commercially viable operations capable of attracting younger participants to agriculture.
