Context

Livelihoods for communities living in arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya are significantly threatened by climate change. The adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions have heightened food insecurity and poverty in such areas. Pastoral and agropastoral communities in Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties are stuck in livestock production systems characterized by ever-reducing stock numbers, low productivity and profitability. This is informed by shortages of high-quality fodder and forages, droughts that lead to water shortages and diminished profitability (as a result of low productivity and the inability to build and establish resilience against short-term and medium-term shocks). The project goal is to strengthen the capacity and resilience of marginalized pastoral farmers to mitigate and adapt to climate change through improved land management using silvopastoral systems.

Key Project Indicators

1. Number of pastoralist households especially women headed households who become more resilient and adapting to the effects of climate change by implementing the silvopastoral systems (and thus more food secure) as a result of capacity building sessions by KENAFF over the project period.
2. Acreage of trained farmers’ land planted with highly productive fodder and forages as well as shrubs and SPS amenable perennials to help restore degraded lands, increase farm productivity, improve the environment and build resilience to climate change within the 24-months project timeline.

The main project partners are pastoral farmers disaggregated by gender and age. It is estimated that the direct beneficiaries of the project will be 1000 farmers whose capacities will be built on the silvopastoral systems. Of these, 750 (75%) will be women pastoralists especially from women headed households while 40% (400) will be young people of not more than 35 years of age. That means that the target group are mainly young female pastoralists farmers. Of the trained 1000 farmers- 13 farmer groups, 9 shall comprise just women with an estimated group membership of 30 farmers each- will be purposively selected for capacity building in climate change adaptation measures and championing silvopastoral systems in their land. Other than pastoral farmers, the important stakeholders KENAFF shall, and is working with include: local KENAFF county offices in West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet, regional KENAFF offices, County governments, local departments of agriculture and livestock, forestry departments, water departments, local NGOs, Community Based organizations, Extension officers, tree nurseries establishments and researchers. KENAFF is also working with the national government through the Ministry of Agriculture, livestock, Fisheries and Coopertives. This is because the ministry us responsible for national policy development in agrculture, livestock, fisheries and cooperatives. KENAFF expects to initiate a policy dialogue on SPS with the ministry. This is one way in which KENAFF plans to build sustainability and widespread adoption for SPS in Kenya

Project Period and Partners

Implementing Silvopastoral Systems in the North Rift is a 2 year project( October 2021- September 2023)climate adaptation initiative KENAFF is implementing in West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties. Partners The project is under the aegis of the International Climate Initiative(IKI) Small Grants Programme of Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and funded by the Federal Ministry for Environment. Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) of the Federal Republic of Germany.