Title: ADDRESSING POLICY CHALLENGES TO FOOD SECURITY IN KENYA
Author:
Stephen Nyamu Nduvi
Abstract:
Resolving national food security policy challenges in Kenya has the potential to eradicate hunger and guarantee consistent access to food by all. Food in security, the lack of regular physical, social, and economic access to nutritious and sufficient food all year round, has put citizens at a greater risk of malnutrition and poor health. The food crisis, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas has severely deteriorated due to worsening drought in Kenya and the Horn of Africa. The number of people affected was projected to increase by 47.5% by the end of 2022.Key contributing factors include repurposing of traditionally viable agricultural land; under-exploitation of irrigation-fed agriculture; absence of locally-led and community-managed food basket reserves; and inadequate diversification of the variety of national food reserves. The paper recommends the establishment of communal and county-specific food baskets and intensifying the exploitation and expansion of irrigation-fed agriculture in the major Water Basin Catchment Areas. There is also need to repurpose the usage of traditional agricultural land and revitalization of virtual grain reserves through the Kenya Agricultural Commodity Exchange (KACE).
Keywords: Food Insecurity, Irrigation, Inflation, Supply Chain, Agricultural Land Repurposing, Irrigation-Fed Agriculture, Drought in Kenya, National Food Security Policy.
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