Kenya Project Boosts Maize Production and Climate Change Benefits
A pioneering soil carbon project helps to double maize production in areas of Kenya, improving farmers’ livelihoods and agricultural practices.
Eight years ago, extended droughts and unpredictable rainy seasons in the Nyanza and Western provinces of Kenya were destroying the crops of smallholder farmers, and with them, farmers’ ability to earn an income and provide food for their families. Despite their best efforts, farmers lacked the know-how to adapt to, and even prosper in a changing environment.
One effort to address this challenge has been a Sustainable Agriculture Land Management project in Kenya, which, since 2009, has been working with thousands of smallholder farmers to increase their use of sustainable agriculture land management practices. The project, supported by the World Bank Group’s BioCarbon Fund in partnership with the Swedish NGO Vi Agroforestry, aims to support a total of 60,000 farmers managing 45,000 hectares of farmland in western Kenya.
Jeremy Keith