PAN AFRICAN AGRICULTURE BALANCED AND AUTHORITATIVE ISSUE 001 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

From Farm to Mouth

AGENDAFOOD SAFETY

Q&A

A case for agriculturestandards regulation

From college dropoutto exporter of herbs

Dr Lal is 2020 WorldFood Prize Laureate

CEO Millers Association

For Aflatoxin-safe Food

Available in Agrovets and NCPB depots near you

Bio-control…

• Aflasafe is a natural biocontrol product that significantly reduces aflatoxin contamination in maize.

• Aflasafe is applied through broadcasting at a rate of 4kg per acre (or 10kg per hectare).

• The right stage for applying Aflasafe is 2-3 weeks before tasseling. For maize, this is at between 6 and 7 inter-node stage.

Did you know that…

• Aflatoxin is a colourless, odour-less & tasteless poison that contaminates food. It is produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus which infects crops such as maize and groundnuts as they grow.

• It stays all the way through harvest, storage and cooking until eaten.• Animal products such as meat, milk and eggs may also contain aflatoxin

passed on from the feeds they consume.• Aflatoxins pose health risks to both humans and animals even at low

concentrations. • Some of the harmful effects from consumption of food high in aflatoxins

include liver cancer, suppression of body immunity, stunted growth in children among other health problems. Acute aflatoxin poisoning may be fatal!

CONTENTS

Q&A interview: Cereal Millers Association (CMA) Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandes speaks on issues affecting the sector including the elusive search for a permanent solution to poisonous aflatoxins. CMA represents the grain milling industry comprising of wheat, maize, various cereals and pulse millers and grain traders in Kenya. It has a membership of 50 large grain milling and trading companies representing about 40% of total maize milling capacity for maize in Kenya and over 85% of the wheat milling capacity reaching over 10 million consumers of maize flour and over 35 million consumers of wheat flour across the country.

Regulating standards High demand for consumers’ healthy diet and trade in food products highlights the increasing significance of food safety management systems through Global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP).

Fighting a pandemic KICOTEC operated by the Kitui County government is helping save lives and uplifting livelihoods in the war against the coronavirus pandemic while motivating farmers to engage in cotton farming.

Urban farmingMicro-gardens yield a wide range of vegetables, roots and tubers, and herbs in small spaces - balconies, patios and rooftops. They fit the urban context, where limited space and scarcity of water prevail.

Exportable qualities From humble beginnings, herbs grower and exporter Jane Kaleha has gained vital knowledge on the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard to produce high quality aromatic plants at her farm in Kinanie, Athi River.

Invasive speciesScientists are warning African nations that invasive alien species pose serious risks and are major drivers of biodiversity loss, undermining their ecological, social and economic well-being.

On top of the worldCelebrated soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal, native of India, US citizen, is the 2020 World Food Prize winner. Dr Lal’s innovative soil-saving techniques have benefitted the livelihoods of 500 million smallholder farmers.

Marine fisheries The Kenya government and the World Bank have signed a Sh10 billion agreement to revitalize the fisheries and aquaculture sector at the coast. The funding will help coastal and marine fisheries governance.

Tea regulations Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya announced new regulations he says would address inefficiencies in the tea value chain such as low tea prices.

Communicating scienceResearchers are increasingly turning to mass media platforms to communicate research findings in a form that various audiences understand. Theses research findings hold crucial information to solve challenges.

COVER STORY

REGULARS

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3EDITORIAL

We welcome you to the first edition of

Rootooba agrinews magazine offering

information, advice and interactive

features for the farming community and the

agriculture sector.

Anchored on evidence-based scientific

reporting, Rootooba is a media platform

focusing on the food security, food safety

and nutrition landscape in Africa.

It provides in-depth analysis on the region’s

major crops, livestock and aquaculture,

legislative, environmental and regulatory

issues affecting farmers and their

businesses.

Unveils new knowledge and technology to

increase production efficiencies, trade,

marketing and management information,

food wastage, climate change, pests and

diseases studies.

Our primary goal is to serve as an

authoritative and balanced communication

bridge linking policymakers, scientists,

researchers and communities across the

African continent.

Highlights on food safety (the process

of scientific organization that describes

ways to deal with, manufacture and store

food, preventing foodborne diseases), are

captured in our cover story, an interview

with the CEO of Kenya’s Central Millers

Association (CMA).

Insights on food security - the adequacy

of food to society, equitable distribution,

confirmed supply, fair access, and

sustained sources of food, get prominence.

The magazine’s name is an acronym of the

English word ‘root’ integrated with the Kiswahili

word rutuba (fertility), the ability of the land to

achieve the growth of crops for cultivation.

It also refers to the ability of land to nurture and

cause sustainable production consistent with

high quality, a goal we will try to attain in our

editorial content.

Our editorial policy is rooted in the publisher’s

strategic vision of a food- and feed-based

platform germinating information on multi-

sectoral, multi-disciplinary evidence-based

solutions across the agricultural value chain.

Rootooba acts as a vital link of research to

practice, creating an area of synergy between

people, government and science practitioners.

Synergies and networks between researchers,

NGOs, the media, the government and the public

are fundamental in realising development

goals, particularly those pertaining to food

security, food safety and nutrition.

The International Food Policy Research

Institute (IFPRI) 2020 Global Food Policy Report

affirms that building inclusive food systems will

help reduce hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and

other inequities.

Join us on this media platform to help achieve

this noble objective.

Editor’s Note

Welcome to Rootooba magazine

Our primary goal is to serve as an authoritative and balanced communication bridge linking policymakers, researchers, scientists and communities across Africa

Publisher Nkima Cianki

Managing Editor Alberto Leny

Contributors Verenardo Meeme

Wandera Ojanji

Dr David Githang’ah

Marion Wagaki

Graphic Design Joe- Harris Marere

Gichuki Mwai

Digital Producer Simon Mukabana

Programmes Wilfred Wachira

Published by ROOTOOBA COMPANY LTDWilson Business Park,P.O. BOX 856-00600Nairobi, KENYA.

Tel +254 717 782 782, +254 734 782 782

Email: info@rootooba.com

© 2020. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed by independent authors and contributors to this publication are provided in the authors’ personal capacities and are their own responsibilities. Their publication does not imply that they represent the views and opinions of Rootooba Ltd and must neither be regarded as constituting advice on any matter whatsoever, nor be interpreted as such. The reproduction of advertisements in this publication does not in any way imply endorsement by Rootooba Company Ltd in any way of products or services referred to therein.

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4 EDITORIAL 5PRODUCTION

High quality standardscrucial for food safetyAgricultural and farm-related certification covering all organizations in the agriculture value chain are vital requirements in the food safety management system globally.

Part of an international farm assurance programme, now a new platform leading to global certification of agricultural produce adhering to the “farm to mouth” principle has been introduced in Kenya.

Increased demand for a healthy diet for consumers and trade in food products has led to the increasing significance of food safety management systems.

Known as the Global Good

Agricultural Practice (GAP), food system certification makes agriculture profitable by providing real-time agricultural produce information for value chain dealers, especially food handlers and farmers.

GAP offers training services to help value chain dealers comply with international standards that boost the marketability of agricultural products.

Growers and food handlers’ lack of up-to-date information and technical know-how on food safety compliance remains a major bottleneck to market access and agricultural production in Kenya.

In many cases, farmers are ready

to apply good agricultural practices however; lack of technical knowledge and market linkages slows down uptake.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) describes GAPs as a collection of principles to apply for on-farm production and post-production processes. GAPs result in safe and healthy food and non-food agricultural products, taking into account economic, social and environmental sustainability.

According to FAO, Food safety hazards occur at different stages of agricultural production starting from primary production, secondary, processing, packaging, storage, and distribution, therefore, the need to

By Verenardo Meeme

A GLOBALG.A.P. field officer monitors one of the agricultural food safety technology instruments helping farmers improve yields.

7FOOD SAFETY

address food safety starting from the farm level is paramount.

Implementing good practices during on-farm production and post-production processes are crucial in ensuring safe food supply.

‘‘Availability and access to information is essential to addressing agricultural challenges. Data and science outputs remain an important aspect to inform GAPs, so that their implementation can be guided by knowledge and information that is easily accessible,” says State Department for Crops Development and Agricultural Research Principal Secretary Prof Hamadi Boga.

The Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) hosts the big data platform funded by the World Bank under the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP), where all available data can be easily accessed.

Discussions on GAPs took centre stage during a conference organized late last year by GLOBALG.A.P in partnership with Rootooba Ltd and KALRO, which brought together global leaders and experts in agricultural production standards, food safety and access to markets.

Kenya has approximately 9 million small-scale farmers at varying levels of development.

Through the adoption of GAPs, producers can access information on how to meet global standards. Rootooba Ltd has established a one-stop-shop to share information regarding GAP compliance, equipping stakeholders with relevant information to fill this gap.

Boga notes that meeting the quality standards advanced by the GAP platform holds the key to global market access and quality local consumption of food.

Rising food safety concerns

have also elicited controversy. Misrepresentation of facts as captured in various crop regulations and lack of understanding in the implementation processes have escalated the challenge, explains the PS.

However, he says the resulting healthy debate has enabled producers, regulators and consumers to influence policy and minimize information asymmetry.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives has published the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) focusing on smallholders.

KALRO is one of the key organizations imparting the needed capacity to value chain actors. ‘‘The ministry is partnering with stakeholders to promote GAPs and enable farmers to produce high-quality food that is safe and nutritious to meet market requirements, and subsequently.

‘‘Capacity building is important towards the achievement of 100% food and nutrition security and increased incomes to farmers,” says Boga.

He emphasized the government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment to support stakeholders by complimenting each other’s role in the agricultural value chain.

Exporters can share information with growers on the significance of GAP certification in expanding the market, while the government through various policies and extension can work with county governments to equip farmers with relevant GAP knowledge and application.

African Union (AU) Representative Ms Diana Akullo notes that deliberations on food safety standards, not just for the export

market, but also for the domestic market are critical. ‘‘Food safety in the local market, medical expenses incurred due to consumption of unsafe foods could be avoided,’’ she cautions.

Akullo says researchers, policymakers and standard-setting bodies should be supported to maintain high food standards.

She said the GAP conference marked a new chapter for sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) in sub-Saharan Africa, in line with the Malabo Declaration that encourages public-private partnerships and supports agriculture in AU member states.

‘‘In Kenya, there have been cases of people consuming unsafe food resulting in food poisoning, and in the long term, health complications such as cancer have been reported, contributing to the health burden,’’ Akullo observes.

Accessing the international food market opportunities globally has been a yardstick performance for most of the stakeholders

in the agricultural value chain. However, local producers and exporters continue to grapple with strict regulations and increasing consumer demand for safe fresh produce.

The Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), faced with a lack of information about certification and growing focus on traceability, has embarked on building capacity on social and environmental standards.

‘‘The Association had no idea it had become necessary to embrace structured standardization processes that demonstrated due diligence that can interrogate the farming process to provide the level of assurance,’’ says FPEAK Chairman Apollo Owuor.

GAP compliance is an outstanding enabler towards producing high-quality products with a significant contribution to environmental sustainability. Local producers and exporters face strict restrictions in

accessing the international market, impeding their trade potential.

FPEAK works with stakeholders to ensure that association members benefit from information on the international food market as well as various opportunities globally.

‘‘GLOBALG.A.P. is an important facilitator of trade rather than a barrier which has helped to register the Sh153 billion realized from the horticulture sector in Kenya. Implementation in Kenya has grown, having started with no local auditors, which was a very costly process, compared to the current scenario where there is a healthy competition among the auditors,’’ Apollo discloses.

GLOBALG.A.P Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Flavio Alzueta says his organization is an important player in the agricultural industry. It facilitates actors in the supply chain to apply the requisite standardization to ensure the availability of safe products. =

‘‘GLOBALG.A.P. sets voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe – more producers, suppliers, and buyers are harmonizing their certification standards to match local needs,’’ Flavio says.

Over 450 voluntary members form the community that includes supermarkets, the food service industry, retailers, input suppliers and growers. There are over 208,000 certified producers in 135 countries, with certified producers in Africa constituting 19.74%, according to Alzueta.

Through the presence of local GAPs services, the farm assurance programme continues to grow in popularity and focuses on understanding the complexity of the global arena to manage and respond to concerns.

GLOBALG.A.P is not only a certification body, but also promotes good agricultural practices.

Implementing good practices during on-farm production and post-production processes are crucial in ensuring safe food supply

FRESH FRUIT: Local producers and exporters face strict regulations and consumer demand for safe fresh produce.

8 FOOD SAFETY

QUESTION Who does the Cereal Millers Association represent?

ANSWER CMA represents the grain milling industry comprising of wheat, maize, various cereals and pulse millers and grain traders in Kenya. Our mission is to provide safe, affordable and adequate food to our consumers. Our membership comprises 50 large grain milling and trading companies. We

Q&A INTERVIEW

Millers offer solutions to challenges in sector The Kenya Cereal Millers Association (CMA) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year amid growing food safety concerns on sub-Saharan Africa’s chief staple, maize. In this candid one-on-one discussion, CMA Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandes speaks to food safety expert Dr Charity Mutegi on issues affecting the sector, including the elusive search for a permanent solution to poisonous aflatoxins.

represent about 40% of total maize milling capacity for maize in Kenya and over 85% of the wheat milling capacity. We reach over 10 million consumers of maize flour and over 35 million consumers of wheat flour. Our members operate mills in Mombasa, Machakos, Mwingi, Kitui, Nairobi, Thika, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Kitale, Kisumu and Malindi. The association was formed to deal with policy issues and government relations.

Our top priority then was to lobby against high wheat import duties, address problems faced with cyclical maize shortages and lobby for a liberalized maize and wheat market. Today the CMA places more emphasis on the provision of safe and affordable food for our consumers.

Cereals, particularly maize play a significant role in Kenya’s food security system. However,

Central Millers Association Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandes says the sector is searching for

a solution to poisonous aflatoxins.

14ROOTOOBA News issue 001

11FOOD SAFETY

most households contend with shifting prices. What causes the fluctuations?

Price fluctuations are largely a result of demand and supply. Demand for cereals in Kenya usually exceeds the supply of what is grown locally and therefore Kenya imports maize from Tanzania and Uganda to meet the deficit. When the region cannot meet the demand, we then have to import from further afield, mainly Mexico and South Africa, as happened in 2017 and 2020. The government’s response to shortages to allow importation of maize is a good measure but usually comes at the peak of a crisis and when maize is imported, port delays and Kenya’s infrastructure constraints also contribute to a higher cost to get this maize to mills even when the global price is low. Maize supplies are also affected by weather patterns, pests (armyworm, locusts), making it quite difficult to predict supply. This leads to volatility in prices.

Government interventions in the market play a role in the market place, where prices paid to maize and wheat farmers are arbitrarily. Market forces are generally not taken into consideration during this decision making process.

The COVID 19 pandemic has also resulted in the holding of grains and pulses by farmers, brokers and traders, with the hope that the government would directly get involved in procurement to support vulnerable members of society. This, too, leads to increased costs and shortages in the market.

What has grain trade and milling experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Millers have faced a significant drop in demand for their products. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2020, economic activities have slowed due to restrictions like containment, cessation of movement in certain areas and the nationwide curfew. This has adversely affected the manufacturing sector, leading to disrupted supply chains, increased input cost, scaled-down manufacturing operations and cash flow challenges. We have seen increased aflatoxins levels in our maize as there has been reduced testing and surveillance at the farmer level as well as at the borders.

Recently, the government allowed millers to import

maize; however, the court stopped distribution or use of the maize until the commodity was tested to ensure that it meets safety parameters including aflatoxin contamination thresholds. What is the current status of the importation?

There was an error in the gazette notice that was first issued but was subsequently corrected. Imported maize will have to meet Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) requirements to be issued with a Certificate of Conformity, with pre-shipment inspection done at the source.

Research shows that Kenya has amongst the highest levels of aflatoxin contamination and exposure globally. Besides,

STAPLE FOOD: A wide range of some of the popular brands of maize flour milled by Kenyan millers on display for sale at a supermarket.

there is a growing demand for aflatoxin-safe products. What are you doing to meet this demand?

In 2010, the CMA took a bold step to self-regulate in the fight against aflatoxins, the first association in East and Central Africa to do so. Members have adopted a rigorous code of conduct to test maize received at their mills. Quality control managers scrutinize all raw material purchased for milling and monitor the end product, daily enforcing internal quality systems.

Our technical teams also work with a team of food safety technical experts such as Technoserve, Aflatoxin Proficiency Testing for East and Central Africa (APTECA), Beca ILRI Hub, University of Nairobi in each mill to ensure compliance to food safety requirements and fortification.

Technical experts audit CMA members regularly and all new members are vetted to ensure they follow food safety regulations before they join. Audit reports are sent to the secretariat and action taken on non-compliance. CMA has embarked on food safety capacity building and compliance initiatives for its members.

What is the millers’ testing capacity for aflatoxins?

While it is not possible to test every bag of maize received at our mills (approx 1.6 million 90kg bags per month) and every packet of maize flour (approx. 54 million 2kg packets per month) released for sale, we have a rigorous testing mechanism in place. For example, for approximately 5,000 trucks that come to our mills on a monthly basis, we are able to conduct at least two tests using

composite samples per truck as a minimum, to ensure the maize is safe. We are able to test our finished products at least twice in an eight-hour shift and ensure we retain some samples to verify our test results.

Members share their aflatoxin contamination results on a bi-monthly basis. This helps us understand aflatoxin levels in the market and acts as a warning to millers to take further precaution. As we collect data, we obtain information on regions with contaminated supply, including across the border, the data shared with government to highlight aflatoxin-contaminated maize areas for necessary action.

Our mills have in-house laboratories which test at intake and before the product is packed using different test kits based on lateral flow methods, ELISA based technology and

Small-scale millers are important players in the local consumption value chain.

The CEO is calling for strict adherence to food safety.

12 FOOD SAFETY 13FOOD SAFETY

immunoaffinity columns. In 2014, CMA members began working with APTECA to implement process approach to measure and manage aflatoxin risk. Accurate measurement of aflatoxins is complicated by the nature of the toxin and the challenges associated with sampling and testing maize.

To standardize these processes and reduce the variability of aflatoxin test results, APTECA promotes the use of uniform sampling, testing equipment and methods, maintenance of records that enable third party audit and verification, proficiency testing, use of laboratory control samples, and third party verification. All CMA members are trained on aflatoxin measurement and have protocols at par with globally accepted good manufacturing practices.

How much of grain is rejected by millers as a result of aflatoxin contamination, beyond the required regulatory threshold of 10ppb?

Rejection rates due to aflatoxins contamination in the past three months have been in the range of 32% to 69%. Through our data collection mechanisms, our information on rejection levels is fairly accurate as we receive reports on rejected trucks complete with registration numbers, levels of aflatoxin contamination and quantities rejected. This information is shared with government offices so that they are aware of the extent of the problem.

What happens to the maize that your members reject?

Whenever we reject maize, in most cases it goes right back to the food chain through posho

mills or smaller unregulated mills, or ends up in animal feed but is hardly ever destroyed. Once millers reject contaminated maize, it changes hands, devalues in price, and is then sold at a discount of almost Sh400-Sh500 less than a 90kg bag of maize within specified limits of 10ppb. This maize is then sold to willing buyers in the food chain who can then place their products on the shelves much cheaper than those observing stringent testing. The price differential of approximately Sh10 on a 2kg packet of flour makes it hard for those doing the right thing to compete.

Why is private sector impact in curbing aflatoxins contamination not yet felt?

There is always this inherent misconception that millers are not addressing aflatoxins in maize. Aflatoxins contamination starts in the fields, and therefore much needs to be done around regulating farming practices where mitigation might be most effective. Secondary issues include post-harvest handling of maize, monitoring and enforcing adequate quality along the maize value chain. Therefore, it is inefficient and cost-prohibitive to put all the responsibilities of aflatoxin mitigation solely onto the millers’ shoulders.

The government needs to understand that the focus needs to shift from flour to maize. Flour is extensively being targeted by regulators when they should be looking more at maize grain in the different value chains including farmers, aggregators and transporters. Catching the problem early virtually eliminates the need to monitor flour extensively.

Targeting maize in the value chain as opposed to flour addresses the issue more effectively and would be more impactful since it would also extend to flour coming out of small mills - currently that flour is not even monitored. This is more cost-effective for regulators and extends their footprint beyond large-scale maize flour millers’ products.

What more should government do as custodians of regulation and an active player in knowledge management?

The government needs to better coordinate efforts on aflatoxin research to minimize repetitions and promote efficient use of resources. Government also needs to encourage use of pre- and post-harvest methods to rid the value chain of aflatoxins. For example, the use of Aflasafe technology and good agricultural

There is always this inherent misconception that millers are not addressing aflatoxins in maize. Aflatoxins contamination starts in the fields

15FOOD SAFETY

practices pre-harvest and proven drying and storage methods post-harvest. Contract farming needs to be encouraged to promote traceability of maize grain from the various regions to ease implementation of quality systems and good agricultural practices.

Government must work with its scientists to look at alternative uses for maize that contains higher levels of aflatoxins. Using scientific evidence, the thresholds allowed can be increased to allow higher levels for animal feeds, especially in animals that tolerate aflatoxin contamination more. In the absence of alternative uses, more contaminated maize will find its way back to the value chain.

Stakeholders need education on the danger of commercializing and consuming moldy foods. Personnel at all levels (scientists, technicians, extension agents, local farmers) need training on sampling protocol and modern

methods of mycotoxin Subsidies should be established and tax tariffs lowered on inputs that reduce aflatoxins and on kits that help in aflatoxin detection.

What are your plans towards meeting consumer demands with regard to prices, quality, quantity, and aflatoxin-safe products?

We are lobbying the government to consider alternative uses for contaminated maize and working with smaller milling associations to build their capacities with regard to safe food. We continue to encourage certificates of conformity for products along the value chain. Importation of maize also assists to bridge the gap and stabilize maize prices in the short term.

What would you recommend further to create a better environment for millers to operate and improve maize production and accessibility ?

Let market forces determine cost of maize with no government interference. Moreover, there should be better harmonization of regulators such as KEBS, the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), who manage food safety and consumer protection so that there is no duplication of regulatory roles, which increases cost of doing business and creates confusion in the market place.

Relevant players must bring down cost of production by enhancing yields per acre through better farming practices, soil testing, mechanisation of planting and harvesting, right fertiliser application and reduction of post-harvest losses through better grain storage options. There should also be better planning of availability of maize from within and across borders so that there is no spike in maize prices, which eventually hurts consumers. The implementation of warehouse receipting programme should also be fast-tracked.

If you were given a billboard with a million viewers, what would be your key message to your audiences in one minute?

I would plead with farmers and consumers, to ‘make food safety a personal responsibility’. I would remind traders and millers that if they can’t consume their own product because it is substandard, they must not allow fellow citizens to consume it. I would urge government to take responsibility and lead from the front.

Ugali (made from maize flour) and fish with vegetables is a very popular dish in Kenya served in many eating places and at home.

When Jane Kaleha dropped out of university while studying mechanical engineering in 2010 to devote her attention to farming, little did she know she was venturing into uncharted territory that would test her commitment to the limit before attaining success on the global stage.

Jane had joined University of Nairobi in September 2008 to study engineering before

‘I quit engineering school in year 2010,now I export herbs’

her interest waned. ‘‘I really wanted to be self-employed and I believed farming if done in a sustainable and precise way, has high and quick returns,’’ Jane explains her dramatic switch of careers.

Ten years later after abruptly changing course at the prime of her education, Jane has no regrets, despite scaling hurdles and lessons learned the hard way before she could reach the

pinnacle of agriculture and trade.

Her decision to quit her mechanical engineering course in the 2010 surprised many, but so strong was her conviction that nothing would deter her from fulfilling a dream nurtured since childhood.

So strong was her passion for farming that she was determined to overcome all the odds.

By Verenardo Meeme

From humble beginnings, Jane Kaleha gained knowledge on the GLOBALG.A.P. Standards to produce and export high quality herbs

16 FOOD SAFETY 17FOOD SAFETY

Jane had developed her passion for farming from an early age, inspired by love for nature and the farm, thanks to her exposure and the interest generated growing up on her parents’ 10 acre farm where they grew sugarcane and reared a few livestock.

Reflecting on the dramatic evolution and the challenges encountered on the path to success, the youthful farmer-cum-entrepreneur narrates how she pursued her passion for farming that eventually led to international recognition and distinction.

After abandoning her engineering course and heading back to the shamba, Jane first planted tomatoes, cabbages and onions for the local market, before her assimilation of knowledge, innovation and technology propelled her to the global export market.

Jane is today an accomplished producer of quality food and a successful global exporter. Despite the thrill of accomplishment, the path of growth was mired by lack of information, and the risk of failure, compounded by financial constraints and stiff competition.

After accepting that there was no turning back after her dramatic decision to quit school and roll her sleeves in the field of agriculture, Jane learned many lessons, networked, worked hard and pushed herself to think outside the box on the way to overcoming these challenges.

While she had no contacts in the global markets that strictly insist on high quality standards, her breakthrough finally came in 2017 when her keen interest and quest for knowledge and possible opportunities in farming for export led her to

GLOBALG.A.P., an organization whose information she came across on the internet.

She immediately got in touch with some exporters whose contacts she had identified online, but they declined to visit her farm, citing its non-compliance to the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard and the small size of her farm.

The incident gave her impetus to find out more information about the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard. Equipped with adequate information, Jane ventured into the export industry, which she considered better regulated, consistent and profitable.

She compared her newfound knowledge to the local trade for her produce that had become unprofitable and unsustainable as cheap produce from neighboring countries flooded the scantily regulated market,

Workers sort out fresh-cut herbs including basil, tarragon, chives, rosemary, oregano, mint and thyme for export from Athi River.

edging many like her out of the scene.

Armed with this information, Jane founded Rehani Fresh Ltd in 2017, a grower and exporter of fresh-cut herbs such as basil, tarragon, chives, rosemary, oregano, mint and thyme, which she exports mainly to the United Kingdom. The farm is situated on the expansive savannah grasslands of Kinanie in Athi River, Machakos County.

About 90% of the information on growing and exporting herbs that Jane relied on when setting up her firm was procured on the internet, as experienced farmers adamantly refused to share the knowledge they had.

With a capital of $70,000 for infrastructure, $1,500 for audit preparation, $1,400 for maximum residue limit testing for seven varieties, $200 for water and soil test and $720 for certification, Rehani Fresh was ready to join the big league of global exporters.

It took one year to get GLOBALG.A.P. certification after

having complied with all its requirements. ‘‘We started small with 12 greenhouses. Currently, we have 43,” Jane notes.

She confesses that starting had its capacity challenges. “We sprayed our products with chemicals without following the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) guidelines.’’

The workers used chemicals meant for spraying flowers to spray vegetables, while the sprayer had no requisite personal protective equipment. They also used a paper bag that had all chemicals mixed and kept ‘safely’ in a chemical room as their store.

‘‘In Kenya, we do not yet have certified plant protection products for herbs, yet it is a major compliance issue. The government needs to support us fully in addressing this.”

Rehani would request clients to give their approved plant protection products for use in herbs production, “which made us travel to Europe to link up with clients,’’ she recalls.

Due to her ignorance and lack of information, she lost $7000 in consultation fees from people who took advantage of her innocence. However, luck was to come by as a farm in Kenya that charged her only $100, granted her a tour, through which she got relevant information that she further relied on to export to the European market.

‘‘GLOBALG.A.P. standard has guidelines on food safety and hygiene, social and environmental aspects that helped us better manage the farm and access the European market, hence improving our profit margins,’’ Jane said.

GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP), a voluntary ready-to-use module designed to backstop social practices on the farm, has enabled Rehani to improve employees’ living and working standards as well as access better-paying clients. It

In Kenya, we do not yet have certified plant protection products for herbs, yet it is a major compliance issue. government needs to support us fully in addressing this.

Jane Kaleha gained knowledge on the GLOBALG.A.P. Standard to produce and export high quality herbs

18 FOOD SAFETY 19FOOD SAFETY

addresses specific aspects of workers’ health, safety and welfare.

Jim Jeffcoate of Hurdletree Associates and a keynote speaker during the GLOBALG.A.P. Tour stop conference in Kenya late last year, most governments and the private sector have grappled with sustainable solutions for engaging youth in agriculture.

With economic growth and the rise of the middle class, there will be more demand for quality food. If this demand is met through sustainable production approaches, it will result in producers moving back into high-value agriculture that leverages technology, where youth may be engaged.

Smallholder producers need to aggregate and use technology to build sustainable supply chain systems. ‘‘Growers should not wait for it to happen, but embrace technology and prepare to adapt to the highest markets available,’’ Jeffcoate advises.

While encouraging new farmers seeking to establish links in the market to visit growers in their field to get information about international markets, he acknowledges government as best placed to provide this information.

“Listen out to the challenges, especially on markets and prices, as these are the major causes of many firms closing down. The government is best placed to provide farmers with knowledge, information and linkages.”

However, he notes that in some instances, there is limited feedback on information queries by producers from the government; an aspect

that requires to be addressed to strengthen confidence and position government bodies to play their part better.

The fact that government officers are overstretched in service delivery and often operate with limited resources in providing essential services cannot be overlooked.

Jane advises farmers considering herbs production to be passionate about their call, conduct thorough research and engage certified experts to make the right decisions. “I hope the government can play a role in supporting smallholder farmers’ access the G.A.P Standard.”

Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) Head Bernard Ondanje says the government plays a critical role in facilitating trade, with the inspectorate conducting inspection and certification. The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), which hosts HCD, guarantees food

safety by ensuring compliance with the required standards for both local and international markets.

The East Africa Community and Common Markets for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) provide trade incentives that benefit producers, on favourable terms. These markets have the potential to absorb market needs for producers in Africa. Although each market has its requirements and standards that have been set by various governments, GLOBALG.A.P. standards are acceptable in these markets.

“KEPHIS supports farmers to produce healthy commodities and offers training at farm level, but there is a challenge of traceability and integrity. It is not always guaranteed that an inspected farm will be the source of the actual products exported,’’ says Phytosanitary Officer Pamela Kibwage.

Jane Kaleha inspects one of the greenhouses at her farm in Kinanie, Athi River

What started as a simple embroidery outfit for stitching school uniforms to fulfill a county election campaign pledge to create jobs for the youth, has turned into a profitable national enterprise.

Just a few months after inking a lucrative deal in 2019 to tailor 6,000 uniforms for chiefs and their assistants countrywide, the Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC) operated by the Kitui County government has landed another big deal, courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic.

KICOTEC’s dramatic change of

fortune has been aided by the county administration’s decision to set up a modern garment factory at the grassroots to help local parents buy school uniforms for their children at a subsidized cost.

So impressed with the facilities and the quality of work he witnessed during a visit to Kitui that President Uhuru Kenyatta, responding to a request from Governor Charity Ngilu, offered to give KICOTEC a chance to make uniforms for the national administration officers.

After proving adept in meeting

this obligation, the county-based garment factory would soon find itself on the right side of health, agriculture and commerce, saving lives and uplifting livelihoods.

The factory has provided an opportunity for farmers to engage in cotton farming that would lead to increased production to meet the setting up of ginneries, the spinning of yarn and other cottage industries for products such as cottonseed and oil and animal feed.

The Kitui tailors were now

KICOTEC unmasked in war against virus By Marion Wagaki

Workers at the KICOTEC factory make an inventory of face masks on the production before they are dispatched to various locations.

20 FOOD SAFETY 21HEALTH

soldiers in the frontline of the war against the coronavirus. Temporarily putting the making of schoolchildren and chiefs’ uniforms aside, the centre was soon thrust onto the national and global stage, manufacturing face masks that are an essential line of defence against the deadly disease.

KICOTEC was also among the locally-based garment manufacturers identified by the government and given the opportunity to ease the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPEs), crucial gear for health workers fighting to curb the spread of the disease.

The factory’s shift in production from manufacturing of garments to address an urgent need for basic PPEs has boosted government efforts towards local manufacturing by cutting on similar imports from countries such as China.

Acting CEO Georgina Musembi narrated the background and current s Rootooba during a recent visit to the centre. We had sought to find out how the factory was faring in meeting the surging demand for the production of surgical and washable face masks that are crucial in controlling infection from the virus.

“KICOTEC has a workforce of over 300 people, 82% are women and 80% youth making masks for adults and school-going children,” says Musembi.

With the ever-increasing demand for protective gear against COVID-19, KICOTEC is plugging the gap by producing 30, 000 face masks daily to ease the shortage of supply. The factory intends to increase its production capacity to

manufacture and deliver up to 100,000 face masks daily.

Musembi says that following the impact of the pandemic that has seen many factories shutting down and sending workers home, downsizing or reducing working hours and wages, KICOTEC chose to adapt to the changing times, retaining its employees to cope with the situation.

The current demand from the ravages of the unprecedented pandemic, meeting the needs of the population is no mean feat.

“We are sourcing the materials locally and RIVATEX is assisting us with the supply of materials such as cotton, polypropylene and polyester of the desired density,” she says.

Musembi reiterates that the factory can produce top quality face masks and other PPEs in

sufficient quantities meeting Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO guidelines.

Despite the rigorous process and stringent standard requirements set by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), KICOTEC has encountered minimal defects in the masks they produce.

KEBS specifications require all materials used in the composition of a mask to be free from latex and glass. The elastic shall be a synthetic elastomeric material, with an approximate width of 5mm, and the length such that the elastic fits comfortably around the head of the wearer.

The nosepiece shall be a flexible strip of aluminum, plastic or similar material of normal width 3mm, which enables the mask donned comfortably around the nose and face.

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu (second right) inspects ready face masks to combat COVID-19 made at KICOTEC a local company

The reinforcing strip shall be a strip of synthetic spun-bonded material; the masks made with first-class workmanship throughout and free from defects that affect their appearance or may affect their serviceability (or both), and free from marks, spots or stains incurred in the making up of the masks.

Governor Ngilu says the county spent Sh168 million to establish KICOTEC, including buying the various sewing machines, building the structures and training the recruited staff.

“The purpose of establishing the factory was not only to create hundreds of direct and indirect job but also to retain the more than Sh2.5 billion that parents in Kitui County spend buying school uniforms from manufactures in Nairobi and other counties,” she adds.

The county has about 486,000 students in primary and secondary schools. The factory

will now save part of the Sh2.43 billion annually, that makes up 90% of the county’s expenditure on the uniform that goes to neighbouring Thika, Nairobi and Kiambu counties.

The COVID-19 outbreak, Ngilu says, has opened opportunities for KICOTEC to play in the league of big boys who have been manufacturing PPEs for export. She added that local enterprises are plugging in the gap and becoming innovative as PPE shortages in the country pose a tremendous challenge to the weak healthcare system in the wake of the pandemic.

“Even as we produce the masks en masse, we are distributing free washable face masks to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, boda boda operators and mama mbogas.”

KICOTEC is supporting the country’s textile industry by providing a ready market for cotton farmers locally and beyond

The county will continue to offer capacity building through skills improvement among the youth to enable them create job opportunities for themselves and open avenues for others in the post-COVID phase.

“We just began last year and we have already proven that we can do it. In future, we will be bidding to manufacture massive quantities of uniforms for prisoners and prison warders,” Ngilu says.

The county administration is looking for funds to construct similar textile outfits in Mutomo and Mwingi towns.

The factory has 145 modern electric sewing machines installed together with other embroidery and pressing machinery. It is modelled similar to the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) garment units. It can run for 24 hours on different working shifts.

Kitui County Commissioner John Ondego says the county’s vision on wealth creation is aligned to the Big Four agenda pillar of manufacturing. Thus KICOTEC is wealth enabler and addresses unemployment among the youth, women and people living with disabilities.

Workers at the KICOTEC factory make an inventory of face masks on the production before they are dispatched to various locations.

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Kenyan fishing communities living along the Indian Ocean coast will soon feel the benefits of improved nutrition, increased trade and food security guarantees.

The good news for people in the coastal counties came after the government and the World Bank signed a Sh10 billion agreement to revitalize the fisheries and aquaculture sector at the coast.

Kenya sought the World Bank’s assistance to address major concerns in coastal and marine fisheries governance to ensure sustainable development goal (SDG) 14 targets are met, and enhance compliance with

Sh10 billion World Bankboost for marine fishing

international and regional obligations.

Funding is aimed at reviving the existing potential for sustainable socio-economic development of the marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture (mariculture), which has been hampered by underdevelopment and minimal participation of marine communities in deep-sea fishery.

Five counties along the coastline – Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, Lamu and Tana River and Lamu – are the beneficiaries of the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic (KEMFSED) project that will promote investment in marine fisheries mariculture and

strengthen coastal livelihoods

The Sh10 billion concessional loan from the World Bank is expected to improve governance and management of marine fisheries and aquatic resources, said Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya during the signing ceremony at Kilimo House in July.

The five-year KEMFSED project’s goal is to enhance economic benefits and coastal livelihoods from marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture while safeguarding the associated ecosystems’ integrity.

By Rootooba Reporter

The Sh10 billion Kenya government and World Bank agreement aims at revitalizing the fisheries and aquaculture sector at the coast

The Kenyan coast is home to many marine species

Kenya in November 2018 co-hosted in Nairobi the first-ever global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference together with Canada and Japan, leveraging on the high-level global event to harness and revamp its blue economy.

The “blue economy” concept refers to the use of seas, oceans and lakes and their resources for sustainable economic development.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and 11 Heads of State and government and 88 ministers representing their nations attended the conference.

The conference focused on sustainability, climate change and controlling pollution. Delegates also addressed issues related to production, accelerated economic growth, jobs and poverty alleviation. Blue economy deals with water bodies and the economic activities around them including fishing, marine transport and extraction of minerals under the seas.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement, Munya explained that the KEMFSED project would study weak governance of marine fisheries that adversely affects the sustainable generation of optimal benefits for the overall economy.

The project would also seek to find out why coastal communities remain poor, have a narrow income base and depend heavily on fisheries for livelihoods, leading to overfishing.

The CS said food and nutrition security are paramount for the well-being of the people. Fisheries provide high and easily

absorbed protein, minerals and oils, which contribute to a reduction of malnutrition.

The KEMFSED project, he added, had come at an opportune time considering that fish is the most traded food commodity in the world, is labour-intensive, rears nature and generates many jobs.

“Let us promote circular economies to maximize the returns from the fisheries as well as protect the aquatic ecosystems,” the CS appealed.

The ministry intends to move 13,000 small-scale fishers concentrated near the shores to deeper waters by building their capacity and training them to venture into the territorial sea and exclusive fishing zones.

So far, the government has trained 100 fishers in Kilifi and 86 in Lamu counties so that they can participate in deep-water fishing. The COVID 19 pandemic interrupted training in the other three counties, but would soon be resume.

'Blue economy'concept refers to the use of seas, oceans and lakes and their resources for sustainable economic development.

24 FISHERIES 25FISHERIES

fishing vessels to support the youth when fishing,” said Prof Ntiba.

The government’s Big Four Agenda, target to increase the production of fish from all sources including marine fisheries from the current 9,000 metric tonnes to 24,000 metric tonnes. The project will benefit poor households living in the riparian 19 sub-counties, 98 Wards of the five coastal counties.

Last year in October, the government of Norway hosted the sixth Our Ocean Conference, which generated 370 pledges for clean, healthy and productive oceans.

The conference brought together 500 world leaders and 100 youth representatives from 100 countries where new voluntary actions were announced to protect the oceans, responsibly manage marine resources and promote sustainable growth.

Through the training of a large number of skilled fishers, the government aims at placing Kenyans in industrial fishing boats mainly by increasing the employment of youths in the fishing industry.

“We expect that the fishers will form stronger associations to enable them own semi-industrial and industrial fishing vessels to participate in the tuna and tuna-like fishery currently dominated by foreign fishing companies,” said Munya.

The project will support the fishers and institutions charged with data collection and enforcement and ensure they are provided for in alternative livelihoods. County governments would provide the technical backstopping on the livelihoods support projects.

Fish farming would through the construction of the National Mari-culture Resource Centre, which will research on better farming systems and fish species and produce marine fish seeds and train the farmers.

Other than promoting fish value chains, the project would

support high-value agriculture value chains such as moringa, chilli and oil crops, generating jobs and incomes for displaced fishers and their dependents.

The project will be officially launched after the COVID 19 phase. Fisheries and aquaculture Principal Secretary Prof Micheni Ntiba said Kenya’s marine fisheries had an unexploited potential of 300,000 metric tonnes. Support from the World Bank would assist the government to transform marine fisheries along the Indian Ocean coast over the next five years.

He said the government is introducing a marine spatial plan bringing together multiple users of the ocean to make informed and coordinated decisions about how to use marine resources sustainably and also protect and conserve the marines.

“We are also setting aside a 30% marine protected area for restocking and conservation of fish in the five-year programme. Currently, we have 17 deep-sea

The marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture has been hampered by minimal participation of marine communities in deep-sea fishery.

The Kenya government has established guidelines on simple technologies to enable households produce nutritious foods domestically as a defensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives are enabling growers to preserve food and maintain healthy eating within

their living environments during the coronavirus emergency.

Households are expected to closely benefit from the consistent availability of nutritious foods in a way that will help save lives and livelihoods through healthy consumption and the promotion of domestic and urban farming.

One of the techniques being championed at the household level are micro-

gardens. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) acknowledges that micro-gardens yield a wide range of vegetables, roots and tubers, and herbs in small spaces, such as balconies, patios and rooftops.

"Micro-gardens fit the urban context, where limited space and scarcity of water prevail, and they can support household food and nutrition needs during emergencies," says Chief

Micro-gardens helpfight hunger, virus By Marion Wagaki

SHAMBA NYUMBANI: Micro-gardening uses plastic-lined wooden crates, custom-built tables, old car tyres and sacks.

26 FISHERIES 27NUTRITION

The preservation techniques reduce damages triggered by enzymes within fruits and vegetables that catalyze the deterioration process, along with exposure to food spoilage bacteria and mould.

Exposure to high temperature result in rotting, and wilting that lead to reduced safety and quality and subsequent income losses.

The guidelines were issued as farmers grappled with disruptions in the food supply chain due to the National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus measures closing some markets, social distancing rules and travel restrictions.

Japheth Mutuvi, a 32-year-old farmer in Ntharene, Meru County, who grows various leafy vegetables on his kitchen garden in his compound, says there has been a shift in commodity preference and affordability during these times of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Administrative Secretary Ann Nyaga.

Micro-gardening uses containers including plastic-lined wooden crates, custom-built tables, old car tyres, sacks, plastic yogurt cups, water bottles, tins, flower pots, buckets, and even old denim jeans and gumboots as receptacles for growing plants,

The technique integrates horticulture production practices with environmentally friendly technologies suited to small spaces, such as rainwater harvesting and household waste management.

Households can grow fast-maturing and traditional vegetables such as cowpeas leaves, amaranth, managu, sagaa, pumpkin leaves, cucumber, okra, courgette, mushroom, tomato, green pepper, dhania (parsley), spring onions and fruits such as strawberries within the compound.

This approach drastically reduces the frequency of market visits, directly supporting the social distancing rules set by the Ministry of Health meant to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Maintaining a healthy diet is an integral part of supporting a robust immune system. A healthy diet factors quantity and quality to achieve optimal growth and development of an individual and supports functioning and physical, mental, and social wellbeing at all life stages, says Nyaga.

"Micro-gardens allow low-income families to meet their needs for vitamins, minerals

and plant protein by providing direct access to fresh, nutritious vegetables. They are also a source of extra income from the sale of small surpluses, reducing the cost of purchasing foods."

"Households can maintain healthy eating during the COVID 19 pandemic by ensuring the constant availability of nutritious foods. A healthy diet is achieved through subsistent production of fast-maturing nutritious foods using space and water-efficient technologies. Own production reduces the need to frequent the market and hence maintain social distancing."

Jane Wambugu, an extension and agricultural economics specialist in the ministry, says 15,000 households have been identified in the pilot counties of Kajiado, Bomet, Murang’a, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Taita Taveta, Makueni, Kitui and Machakos, who will access the programme package.

The farmers have received seeds and have been trained on how to apply various best agronomic practices. ‘‘The guide has simplified the best practices in integrated pest management training modules,” says Wambugu.

Other guidelines for sustaining healthy diets at the household level outlined in the guide include guidelines on the preservation of fresh vegetables and fruits using cooling pots, freezing vegetables for extended periods and drying fruits, vegetables and meat to increase shelf life.

Micro-gardening uses plastic-lined wooden crates, custom-built tables, old car tyres, sacks, plastic yogurt cups, water bottles, tins, and buckets, and old denim jeans.

The Mathenge tree (Prosopis Juliflora), an invasive plants introduced for good reasons, has turned out to be a nightmare.

Environmental experts have warned African nations that the introduction of species to new environments from outside of their natural home ranges carries massive risks for the continent.

Scientists further describe invasive alien species as major drivers of biodiversity loss, their continuing spread undermining the ecological, social and economic well-being of entire regions.

Invasive species can also cause serious disease outbreaks, including diseases affecting humans. Through its Article 8(h), the Convention on Biological Biodiversity holds that each Contracting Party, shall as far as possible, and as appropriate,

prevent the introduction of, and/or control, or eradicate, those alien species which are known to threaten ecosystems, habitats or species.

The increasing frequency of invasive species in Africa has also led to food insecurity. Recognizing this major threat, researchers have developed the collaborative Strategy for Managing Invasive Species 2021-2030 to control invasive species in the continent over the next 10 years.

While issue of invasive alien species is global in scope, concrete measures must be taken nationally and regionally to address the danger.

In adopting the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, Parties to the Convention committed that: “By 2020, invasive alien species and pathways are identified and prioritized, priority species are controlled or eradicated, and measures are in place to manage pathways to prevent their introduction and establishment.”

‘‘The overall objective of the African Strategy for Managing Invasive Species 2021-2030 is to effectively guide and coordinate actions at the continental, regional and national levels towards prevention and eradication of invasive species in Africa,’’ according to its author, Paul Nampala.

Taming invasivespecies in AfricaBy Verenardo Meeme

28 NUTRITION 29ENVIRONMENT

UNEP/ GEF helps African nations through the Invasive Alien Plants and their Management in Africa initiative.

Many countries in Africa lack adequate capacity to detect and implement management measures to tackle the invasive species.

Published by International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), CABI, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the African Union (AU) in June 2020, the strategy seeks to harmonize institutional engagements in eradicating the menace.

‘‘The strategy shall be operationalized in five-year cycles to allow for an opportunity to address emerging issues progressively based on experiences gained during the implementation of the foregoing five-year period into the next,’’ says Nampala.

Invasive species are described in the document as species, which come from another ecosystem and establish in new environments. They establish and thrive mainly because no indigenous/native natural enemies are effective in their regulation immediately or in the long-term, enabling the invasive to thrive, expand exponentially and start to out-compete the local, native species.

‘‘Invasive species destroy livelihoods, cause hunger, threaten the economic prosperity of entire countries and regions, and increase biodiversity loss,’’ says the author.

The document observes that over half of the world’s food comes from just three crops - rice, wheat and maize. CABI estimates that these three crops alone suffer annual yield losses of up to 16% (US$96,000

million of lost production) due to invasive species.

The invasion of the fall armyworm in 12 African countries is reported to have caused an annual yield loss of 4.1 to 17.7 million tons of the maize crop alone.

It is estimated that 480,000 invasive species have been introduced to different ecosystems globally. Unfortunately, their geographic spread and impact are growing due to climate change, trade and tourism.

About 600 million communities living in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly rural dwellers, suffer yield loss to diseases from invasive means, compounding food security challenges.

To effectively address the invasive species menace in Africa, a shift in strategy from a reactive to a more proactive intervention is urgently needed, based on the internationally recognized three-stage approach of prevention, early detection, and control.

The strategy calls for a coordinated Africa-led invasive species management effort at continental level working closely with an effective system at the national level to prevent the impact.

Joint efforts include appropriate controls at border posts to prevent the accidental introduction of species from other regions that might pose threats to agricultural production. Previous disjointed efforts towards eradicating the invasives by various players have hindered management efforts.

The success of the proposed approach will require robust

phytosanitary capacity and systems, continent and nationwide surveillance, integration of invasive species threats into national disaster response units.

It will also require interdisciplinary and cross-border research to develop and deploy novel solutions, collaborative resource mobilization and citizen science.

The strategy, if implemented will support Africa’s effort to achieve sustainable functioning of biodiversity and ecosystems at continental level. Such measures have been in ineffective in the prevention and management of invasive species.

A UNEP/Global Environmental Facility (GEF) sought to help African nations honour their contractual obligations, through the Invasive Alien Plants and their Management in Africa initiative.

The comprehensive Strategy for Managing Invasive Species in Africa 2021–2030 can be downloaded here.

Leading soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal is the 2020 World Food Prize Laureate for promoting soils as a vital component for sustainable development.

A distinguished pedologist, Dr Lal received the $250,000 award for at a ceremony in June that featured pre-recorded remarks

from the US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Announcing the Laureate, World Food Prize Foundation President Barbara Stinson said Dr Lal had been recognised for developing and mainstreaming a soil-

centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.

“Dr Lal is a trailblazer in soil science with a prodigious passion for research that improves soil health, enhances agricultural production,

Dr Rattan Lal winner 2020 World Food PrizeBy Rootooba Reporter

2020 World Food Prize Winner Dr Rattan Lal

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improves the nutritional quality of food, restores the environment and mitigates climate change,” said Stinson. “His decades of work to address all of these elements fully warrants his recognition as the 50th World Food Prize Laureate.”

From his humble beginnings as a refugee growing up on a small subsistence farm in India, Lal’s determination to learn and succeed in school propelled him to become one of the world’s foremost soil scientists.

His pioneering research on the restoration of soil health in Africa, Asia and Latin America led to revelations that impacted agricultural yields, natural resource conservation and climate change mitigation. The agricultural practices Lal advocated are now at the heart of efforts to improve agriculture systems in the tropics and globally.

“The unbound joy and excitement of receiving the 2020 World Food Prize reminds me about the gratitude, privilege and honor of working for farmers from around the world. Yet, the urgent task of feeding humanity is not fulfilled until each and every person has access to an adequate amount of nutritious food grown on a healthy soil and in a clean environment,” said Dr Lal.

He now serves as distinguished professor of soil science and founding director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at the Ohio State University (OSU).

Dr Lal’s innovative research demonstrated how healthy soils are a crucial component of sustainable agricultural intensification – enabling higher

crop yields, while requiring less land, agrochemicals, tillage, water and energy.

His work has been pivotal in enhancing the productivity and sustainability of global agricultural systems, resulting in improved crop yields and food security, while also saving hundreds of millions of hectares of natural tropical ecosystems.

Humble beginnings from a refugee to the world’s leading soil scientist

From his humble beginnings as a refugee growing up on a small subsistence farm in India, Dr Rattan Lal’s determination to learn and succeed in school propelled him

to become one of the world’s foremost soil scientists.

His pioneering research on the restoration of soil health in Africa, Asia and Latin America led to revelations that impacted agricultural yields, natural resource conservation and climate change mitigation.

The agricultural practices Lal advocated are now at the heart of efforts to improve agriculture systems in the tropics and globally.

Lal’s soil-centric approach is based on the premise that “the health of soil, plants, animals, people and the environment is one and indivisible.”

His research shows that growing crops on healthy soils produces more from less: more food from less land area, less use of agrochemicals, less tillage, less water and less energy.

As soils also provide essential environmental services such as retaining rainwater, filtering pollutants and providing habitat for all manner of organisms, it is all the more important for societies to manage soils sustainably.

Soil essentials

Starting in 1970 at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, Lal began addressing the issue of soil erosion and degradation in sub-Saharan Africa.

He found that deforestation and agricultural cultivation exposed the soil to the harsh tropical climate, causing severe erosion.

What’s more, removing the plant residue at harvest robbed the soil of nutrients, organic matter and organic carbon, making it harder and harder each season for farmers to grow a viable crop.

Lal spearheaded research demonstrating that soil organic matter and carbon is crucial to sustaining and enhancing the quantity and quality of food production.

His findings are especially relevant in tropical regions of the developing world, where soil degradation has contributed to a downward spiral of poor soil health, low agricultural yield, enervated environment and, ultimately, weak resilience of rural livelihoods.

I believe soil is a living thing. That’s what soil health means, soil is life. Every living thing has rights. Therefore, soil also has rights. As long as you are consuming the natural resources – food, water, elements – coming from the soil, you owe it to soil to put something back, to give something back, whatever you can.”

Lal’s investigation revealed that low soil carbon and organic matter combined with harsh tropical climates and nutrient-depleting farming practices posed a major barrier to reaching the soil’s productive potential.

EARLY DAYS: Rattan Lal went to school in India and was a refugee in Pakistan during his childhood. He graduated from Punjab Agricultural University before earning a scholarship at the Ohio State University. He went on to become a top soil scientist working in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Soils of the world must be part of any agenda to address climate change, as well as food and water security. There is now a general awareness of soil carbon.

32 PROFILE 33PROFILE

in fact, essential to enhancing irrigation and fertilizer efficiency; only 30 percent or less of irrigation water and fertilizer applied in depleted soils reached crops.

Lal advocated that agriculturalists turn their attention from NPK to CNPK (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) as the most important soil elements for plant growth.

Lal’s work soon showed its worth in restoring soils and improving agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa, but he did not stop there.

He taught his methods to researchers from around the world who came to IITA and also traveled to Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Thailand and many other countries with tropical climates to practice and promote good

systems for soil health.

Lal identified and promoted land-use and soil management practices tailored to each region of the world to effectively restore soil health and avoid soil degradation.

He developed region-specific soil guides for the adoption of conservation agriculture systems, alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture and technologies for sustainable intensification of agroecosystems.

By establishing long-term experiments throughout the tropics, he popularized the practice of conservation agriculture in regions of harsh climates and fragile soils.

Rather than simply expanding the use of inputs (i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, energy) or the land area used to grow crops,

His experimentation and efforts presented sustainable agricultural intensification practices boosting food production while decreasing the amount of land and increasing the efficiency of the inputs used to cultivate it.

Lal’s models indicate that restoring soil health can lead to multiple benefits by the year 2100, including more than doubling the global annual grain yield to feed the growing world population, while decreasing the land area under grain cultivation by 30 percent and decreasing total fertilizer use by half.

Making this a reality will enormously benefit farmers, food consumers and the environment.

Carbon Counts

Through his innovative work on agricultural eco-intensification,

Under such poor growing conditions, improved, high-yielding crop varieties could not reach their full yield potential, even with the application of mineral fertilizers.

Thus, several world regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, missed out on harnessing the full benefits of Dr Norman Borlaug’s Green Revolution technology.

Lal’s research applies to more than one-third of the planet’s land area and 3.2 billion people (40% of the world’s population) affected by land degradation.

Most soils in the world have lost 25-75 percent of their original soil carbon. Though the ideal proportion of soil carbon in the root zone is about 2 percent, many tropical soils now hold less than 0.1 percent.

The global loss of topsoil due to unsustainable agricultural practices may have reduced overall earnings by 10 percent or more. Land degradation

is projected to give rise to hundreds of thousands of soil refugees in Asia and Africa in the coming decades. And yet, soil is too often undervalued as a necessity for resilient communities.

“Soil is the basis of terrestrial life. All terrestrial life. Every living thing on the planet depends on soil. And yet this material which is hidden beneath the surface of the earth is underappreciated, not recognized,” Lal said.

Based on his thorough analysis of the factors affecting soil degradation, Lal began focusing on building soil physical health

and the amount of organic matter contained in soil.

He explored and transformed techniques such as no-tillage, cover cropping, mulching and agroforestry that protected the soil from the elements, conserved water and returned nutrients, carbon and organic matter to the soil.

This in turn improved the long-term sustainability of agroecosystems and minimized the risks to farmers of droughts, floods, and other effects of a changing climate.

This focus on soil’s physical properties diverged from the conventional soil fertility strategy in the 1970s, which relied heavily on replacing soil nutrients through fertilizer application.

Lal’s approach uniquely pointed out that the physical health of soil is,

Soil is the basis of all terrestrial life. Every living thing on the planet depends on soil. Yet this material beneath the earth’s surface is not recognized.

Dr Lal after in a recent photo receiving the 2020 World Food Prize

Dr Lal at work in the field collecting soil samples in a maize field. His passion and zeal on matters soil is unmatched.

34 PROFILE 35PROFILE

Lal not only introduced the concept of soil physical health and resilience as an effective strategy for meeting the farming challenges of a changing climate, but also identified the promise soil holds for carbon sequestration efforts.

The key to solving these issues, Lal found, is the carbon contained in soil. Soil contains 1,550 gigatons of organic carbon in soil organic matter, as well as 750 gigatons of inorganic carbon, which adds up to three times the amount of atmospheric carbon.

Lal recognized this potential for soil to act as an enormous carbon sink to slow the increase of atmospheric carbon and stymie global climate change.

While a professor at OSU in the early 1990s, Lal co-authored the first scientific report showing that restoring degraded soils through increasing soil carbon and organic matter not only

improved soil health, but helped combat rising carbon dioxide levels in the air by sequestering atmospheric carbon. His analysis showed that soils can sequester carbon at rates as high as 2.6 gigatons per year. When his research was published in Science in 2004, it garnered worldwide attention.

Normally, people think of agriculture as the problem,” Lal said. “But with me, I want it to be the solution.” “Normally, people think of agriculture as the problem,” Lal said. “But with me, I want it to be the solution.

This breakthrough research transformed the way the world saw soils. They were now not only the foundation for increasing the quality and quantity of food and preserving natural ecosystems, but an important part of mitigating climate change as well.

Because of Lal’s leadership in linking soil carbon to climate change, three separate United Nations Climate Change Conferences adopted his strategy of restoring soil health as a means to sequestering carbon.

This gave rise to the “4 per 1000” Initiative to increase soil carbon at an annual growth rate of 0.4 percent through implementing the conservation farming practices Lal had already adapted to regional conditions. Lal’s proposals on soil health closely tie into four of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2007, he was among those recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize Certificate for his contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports when the IPCC was named co-recipient of the prize.

While Lal is one of the most prolific agricultural scientists with more than 100,000 citations of his vast corpus of published work, he

recognizes the importance of translating science into action.

He is acutely aware of the necessity of working with national, international and governmental institutions in his relentless quest to translate research into impact at the community and farmer level.

A consummate communicator, he served as president of four international professional societies including the International Union of Soil Sciences and is a member of many more.

He developed strong channels of communication with policymakers at national and international levels; mentored 350 students and researchers from around the world; collaborated with industry leaders to reach their goals for reducing carbon emissions; made more than 500 keynote presentations; and visited 105 countries to promote the soil-centric approach to advancing food security.

He is credited as one of the most influential agricultural researchers by peer review organizations around the world.

Lal is a trailblazer in soil science with a prodigious passion for teaching that improved soil health enhances agricultural production, improves the nutritional quality of food, restores the environment, and mitigates climate change.

In this approach, he reconciled two seemingly opposing elements: the need for increased food production with the necessity of restoring soil, water and air quality.

“Soils of the world must be part of any agenda to address climate change, as well as food and

water security,” said Lal. “I think there is now a general awareness of soil carbon, an awareness that soil isn’t just a medium for plant growth.”

Rattan Lal estimates he was born in 1944 in the small farming village of Karyal in West Punjab, India. In 1947, when India gained independence, Lal’s Hindu family found themselves in the newly partitioned Pakistan. They departed and resettled as refugees in Rajaund, Haryana, India, about 100 miles northwest of Delhi.

In Rajaund, Lal’s father farmed a much smaller plot of land of only a few acres, using the traditional farming methods that rely on manual labor and oxen to raise wheat, chickpeas, rice and sugarcane. Lal looked after the family’s small herd of cattle.

Lal first became curious about soil through his experiences with subsistence farming as a boy. He recalls watching his father, uncle and brother plowing the fields with oxen in temperatures reaching above 45 Celsius (>110 °F).

The ground was very hard all the crop, including the straw, was removed at every harvest; nothing was returned to the land. Lal wondered at the time about the difficulty of plowing the land, and why plowing was even needed.

Lal had the chance to study soils more upon entering Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana after earning a scholarship for graduating at the top of his class from his two-room school in Rajaund in 1959.

As neither of his two older siblings were ever able to attend school, Lal felt as though he studied for them

as well, motivating him to study hard. He completed his high school assignments by the light of a kerosene lamp in the evening.

His first year of college, he ran four miles to school every morning. His application and fortitude was recognized by his soil science professor and mentor, Prof DR Bhumbla, who encouraged Lal to continue his studies at his own alma mater, the Ohio State University.

At the time, attending school in the United States hardly seemed possible, but after earning his M.Sc. at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi, Lal went on to do just that. In 1965, he boarded a plane for the first time and travelled more than 7,000 miles to OSU to pursue his PhD under the mentorship of Prof George S. Taylor.

Everywhere he found farmers faced the same problems. Smallholder farmers constantly struggled with problems stemming from soil degradation.

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Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Centre of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

Africa RISING project partners in Tanzania have published a reference booklet to help extension agents educate farmers on good agricultural management practices.

Soil fertility management in Babati: A practical guide on good agricultural management practices in smallholder farming systems is one of the emergent emerging development and communication platforms designed to link smallholder farmers to extension services.

In agriculture dependent economies such as those in the East African Community, agricultural extension plays a critical role in promoting development, especially in rural areas.

The government is expected to deploy agricultural extension workers to take information to farming communities to adopt new technologies and innovation, helping them increase productivity, incomes and standards of living.

However, extension officers face many challenges, which limit their effectiveness in promoting smallholder farmers to adopt beneficial practices that increase productivity in an environmentally sustainable way.

The challenges of extension are similar across Africa and require common solutions. Key among them training agriculture extension agents in development and communication to cope with the increasing sophistication of development in programming, and the impacts of climate change.

“Reformation of extension requires re-examining training at university level and repositioning extension in the field to serve as a neutral facilitator of development across sectors,” argues Robert Agunga in his study at the Ohio State University titled The Role of Agricultural Extension in Africa’s Development, the Importance of Extension Workers and the Need for Change published in ResearchGate.

The new Africa RISING publication draws on the authors’ scientific data, interactions and observations while implementing project activities and interacting with extension officers and farmers in Tanzania’s Babati District over the past six years.

It also includes the input of extension agents and lead farmers on the main challenges

Guidebook proposes reforms in extensionBy Job Kihara, Peter Bolo and Michael Kinyua

For future generations, it is very important that soil resources must be protected, preserved, restored and enhanced. That is where the future of humanity lies.

After graduating from OSU in 1968 with his PhD in Soils, Lal traveled to the University of Sydney as a postdoctoral researcher.

Soon after his arrival in Australia, he received an invitation from Dr Herb Albrecht, whom he had met at OSU and who now served as the Director-General of the newly-created IITA. Dr. Albrecht charged Lal with creating a soil physics laboratory in Nigeria that would be so outstanding that Africans would not need to study elsewhere.

In December 1969, Lal traveled to Ibadan, Nigeria, to take up the post of Soil Physicist at IITA. Lal and his wife, Sukhvarsha S. Lal, remained in Nigeria for eighteen years, where their four children were born and they weathered the end of a civil war and three government coups.

During his nearly two decades at IITA, Lal traveled all over the world studying tropical soils. Everywhere he explored, he discovered differences – different cultures, different languages, different climates – but he also found that farmers faced the same problems as those he had experienced as a child. Smallholder farmers constantly struggled with problems stemming from soil degradation. These experiences awakened him to the importance of considering the social and cultural issues in farmers’ lives as well as the agricultural

and environmental. “If soils are not restored, crops will fail even if rains do not… and humanity will suffer even with great scientific strides.

Political stability and global peace are threatened because of soil degradation, food insecurity, and desperateness,” said Lal. “For future generations, it is very important that soil resources must be protected, preserved, restored and enhanced. That is where the future of humanity lies.”

In 1987, Lal returned to The Ohio State University. There he established the Carbon Management & Sequestration Center in 2000. At OSU, he has mentored 112 graduate students, 54 postdoctoral researchers, 10 research scientists and associates, and 175 visiting scholars, who all became soil ambassadors working to restore the world’s soils.

Prior accolades recognizing Dr. Lal for the exceptional energy and insight he applies to the crusade for conservation around the world include the Japan Prize (2019), the GCHERA World Agriculture Prize (2018), the Glinka World Soil Prize (2018), the Liebig Award (2006), and in India, the Swaminathan Award (2009) and the Norman Borlaug Award (2005).

On one of his last trips to India, Dr. Borlaug himself presented Lal with the Norman Borlaug Award honoring outstanding Indian researchers in agriculture. Lal epitomizes Dr. Borlaug’s philosophy that science is meaningless if it does not serve humanity. Lal’s efforts to extend the Green Revolution by advancing soil health makes him a laudable 50th Laureate of the World Food Prize.

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they face in trying to maximize crop yields.

Topics covered in the 36-page guide include land preparation, seed choice, spacing, planting, manure application, soil conservation, fertilizer application, weeding, pest/disease control and crop post-harvest management.

Extension programmes remain the main conduit for disseminating information on farm technologies, supporting rural adult learning and assisting farmers develop technical and managerial skills.

The extension services also help increase farm productivity, on-farm revenue, reduce poverty levels and minimize food insecurity.

‘‘Through our research work, we’ve established that adopting good agronomic practices can increase a farmers’ maize production in Babati from an average eight bags per acre to 27 bags! However, limited access to the best agronomic practice information is a significant barrier to farmers attaining this potential,’’ explains Job Kihara, the publication's lead author.

‘‘This publication aims to bridge this gap through local extension officers who are the most trusted sources of information by farmers in Babati,’’ he explains.

The guidebook, which is already being used by extension officers in the district, has elicited positive feedback from stakeholders. Babati

District Agriculture, Irrigation and Cooperative Officer Jetrida Kyekaka says it is an essential reference tool for new extension agents coming from other regions where agronomic requirements differ from Babati’s.

“A handy book like this one that touches on different farm management topics will enable us (extension officers) be much more technically sound and structured when giving advisory services to farmers,” she adds.

Download a copy of the guidebook Soil fertility management in Babati: A practical guide on good agricultural management practices in smallholder farming systems.

The demand for research-driven solutions that are practical and affordable is sharply rising amongst interventions aimed at boosting agricultural production.

At the heart of this demand are policymakers and farmers who are key to the adoption, scaling, and implementation of innovations in agriculture.

Science communication encapsulates any activity that involves one party transmitting synthesized science-related information to an individual, group, or mass communication.

Researchers often grapple to utilize mass media platforms to communicate their research findings in a form that various audiences will understand.

Many of those research findings hold key information that could contribute immensely to solving the world’s challenges.

The effective communication of science concepts enhances the relevance of science to communities and encourages its integration into policy and decision-making, thereby contributing to the improvement of the quality of life.

For instance, science products such as those used in managing devastating Fall Armyworm

pests devouring farmers’ maize crops, locust invasions, and aflatoxin contamination of food crops in the African continent need to be effectively communicated to various categories of agricultural value chain actors.

Chandra Mohan (2010) posits that most articles in newspapers related to science events often depict the content as either too technical or too general, contains little science or distorted facts.

The author further observes that a major evaluation criterion for the performance of scientists by their employers is their capacity to publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals as opposed to publishing as grey literature and other means of communication.

While peer-reviewed journals are seen as the gold standard for information sources by many, the style, content representation, and sometimes restrictions imposed by publishers impede their access by the majority of information users. The useful concepts developed by scientists for society are sometimes therefore not apparent to potential users.

Moreover, not many scientists invest in enhancing their communication skills nor explore an array of dissemination options available

and suitable for reaching different target groups because they do not count much in their performance evaluation.

Over time, with increasing options for information dissemination and increased appetite for knowledge by the general public, scientific outputs are finding their way into mass media channels such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and online information dissemination outlets such as blogs, and podcasts.

Scientists are therefore encouraged to improve their skills in science communication and utilize the existing array of communication platforms to share their innovations.

Embedding science communication skills and application as one of the key performance evaluation criteria for scientists by employers should also be encouraged. Such approaches will bridge the gap in science communication coverage that is currently weak. Subsequently, the role of research outputs in improving farmers’ well-being will be elevated. Besides, effective science communication can increase the chances of scientists securing funding for advancing their work.

Communicating science in agricultural research By Verenardo Meeme

40 RESEARCH 41OPINION

Tough regulations stir up tea sectorTea processed and manufactured in Kenya for the export market will be sold exclusively at the tea auction floor by November this year, the government has announced.

The tea regulation implementation should be fully executed by 28 February 2021 in timelines set out in the Crops (Tea Industry) Regulations, 2020, according to the regulations issued by Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.

Under the new regulations, no one will be allowed to act in a director's position when having a commercial relationship at a tea factory come February next year.

From November 2020, all tea processed and manufactured in Kenya for the export market would be for sale exclusively at the tea auction floor.

Smallholder tea factory companies shall ensure tea growers are paid at least 50% due for green leaf delivered every month within 30 days.

The Crops (Tea Industry) Regulations, 2020, came into force on 22 May 2020, having gone through all the necessary processes, including stakeholder consultations and public participation.

Munya says all tea sectors had been given ample time

- more than two months - to familiarize themselves with the new regulatory requirements and create their internal capacity.

‘‘The regulations are ready for implementation and will be followed by a new Tea Act currently before Parliament. The government is implement these measures in a bid to reverse the tea sector’s dwindling fortunes and improve the entire value chain,” says the CS.

He has urged parliament to expedite the Tea Reforms Act, paying particular attention to the provisions allowing renegotiation and amendment of current agreements, especially those relating to management agents and factories.

Munya said the timelines would be strictly enforced, with penalties for those failing to comply, including suspension and revocation or variations of licences and registrations. The timelines cover management, manufacturing, buyers and exporters, brokerage and tea auction trading rules.

He directed the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to immediately undertake a technical inspection of the newly-installed E-Auction system to ensure that the auction is operating consistently with best practices for commodity trading.

By Marion Wagaki

If farm ecology and economics go wrong, nothing else will go right in agriculture.M.S.Swaminathan, World Food Prize Laureate, 1987

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