CHAPTER 6: CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL SECTORS IN
6.3. Kenya
implementation of appropriate policies should augment this growth and thus increase the share of organic exports from 1% of total exports.
exports essential oils, dried herbs and spices and crops used in the production of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products (Taylor, 2006). Parrot and van Elzakker (2003) add that Kenya‟s certified organic products include French (runner) beans, mange tout peas, tea, hibiscus tea, jam, macadamia nuts and oil. These products are exported to the UK, Japan, Austria and Germany.
Although only 20% of Kenya is classified as arable, the country has a number of regions in which organic produce is cultivated (Mwaura, 2007). Table 6.2 provides a summary of the various certified and non-certified organic products grown in various regions within Kenya.
It is clear that the Central, Western, Nzanya and Rift Valley provinces are able to produce a wide array of organic products relative to other regions. The North Eastern Province and the eastern part of the Rift Valley region are also more suited to cultivating wild harvests.
The Central Province has the largest percentage of certified organic agricultural land.
Taylor (2006) indicates that the large majority of farmers have been exposed to extensive training in organic agricultural methods, but Kenya‟s organic sector mainly consists of non- certified farms and produce. This is problematic for Kenya because the export potential of the organic sector is largely unrealised and price premiums are not being obtained.
Table 6.3: Organic Agricultural Commodities Produced in Kenya Regions
(Provinces) Non-Certified Organic Products Certified Organic Products Nairobi Processing of Dried Fruit Processing of Cold-Pressed
Oils
Processing of Vegetables
Central
Fruits – Avocadoes, Mangoes, Passion Fruit, Apples, Guavas, Pineapples, Pawpaws
Coffee, Vegetables (Exotic &
Indigenous), Potatoes (Irish &
Sweet), Watermelon, Sweet Melon, Green Peas, Ginger, Green Pepper, Okra
Avocadoes & Mangoes (in conversion), Coffee, Vegetables (Baby Vegetables & Salad Vegetables), Dried Fruit, Bird‟s Eye Chillies Cane Fruit
Nyanza Bananas, Fruit, Groundnuts, Sesame, Sugar Cane, Chillies,
Sorghum, Millet Bird‟s Eye Chillies
Rift Valley Honey, Tea, Fruits
Honey, Black & Herbal Tea, Dried Culinary Herbs &
Spices, Essential Oils, Cold- Pressed Oils, Nutraceuticals, Vegetables (Baby
Vegetables & Salad Vegetables)
Eastern
Vegetables, Fruit (Mangoes, Pawpaws & Oranges), Cassava, Millet, Sorghum, Amaranth, Medicinal Plant Products
North Eastern Essential Oils
Western Indigenous Vegetables – Amaranth,
Spider Plant, Saghert Pineapples Coast Cashew Nuts, Groundnuts,
Turmeric, Ginger
Natural Craft Products as Certified „Non-Timber Forest Products‟ Source: Taylor (2006)
Kenya‟s organic agricultural sector has come to fruition without support or aid from the government, as the sector was initiated by farmers, NGOs and the private sector (Mwaura, 2007). The development and promotion of Kenya‟s organic sector can be attributed to six institutions, including the Kenya Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF), the Kitale-based Manor House Agricultural Centre, the Thika-based Sustainable Agriculture Community Development Programme (SACDEP), the Molo-based Baraka College, the Nairobi-based Better Land Husbandry (ABLH) and the Sustainable Agriculture Centre for Research and Development in Africa (SACRED) (Bett and Freyer, 2007).
These institutions rely on various international benefactors for financial aid and support.
They have remained active in Kenya‟s organic agricultural sector, with a number of them being involved in various aspects. For example, KIOF implemented a training programme aimed at instituting “organic guarantee systems, standard setting and accreditation certification” (Parrot and van Elzakker, 2003: 81). KIOF has also provided organic farming training and education to over 5000 members since its inception in 1986. In addition, Manor House Agricultural Centre has provided organic agricultural training to approximately 6000 farmers across the country (Mwaura, 2007).
Kenya currently has four international certification bodies operating in the country, including the Soil Association, EcoCert International, the Institute for Marketecology (IMO), and Bio Suisse (Taylor, 2006). Sustainable Agriculture Community Development Programmes (SACDEP) also plays a critical role in Kenya‟s organic agriculture. It is a training programme with a specific focus on the production, marketing, processing and saving and credit systems of organic agriculture. SACDEP is also prominent in Kenya‟s Eastern and Central provinces, where the programme is training and assisting 4500 smallholder farmers (Hine and Pretty, 2006).
Kenya has over twelve „organic operators‟, which include both individual farmers and producers‟ associations. Some operators are fully converted and accredited as organic, while others are in the process of converting (Parrot and van Elzakker, 2003: 81). Bett and Freyer (2007) point out that the majority of Kenya‟s smallholder organic farmers operate as a group, which then receives Smallholder Group Certification. The independent NGO, Mount Kenya Organic Farming (MOOF), was developed with a view to assisting and empowering Kenyan smallholder farmers through ensuring food security and promoting sustainable organic farming practices (Hine and Pretty, 2006). In addition, MOOF educates and supports certified smallholder organic farming in accordance with IFOAM regulations and guidelines.
The smallholder farmers have also created the Kenya Organic Farmers Association (KOFA), which serves as a unifying body. The larger, commercial organic farmers in Kenya developed the Kenya Organic Producers Association (KOPA). In 2005, KOFA and KOPA united to form the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN), with the objective being to improve and sustain the growth of Kenya‟s organic agricultural sector. KOAN has
of smallholder organic farmers, many of whom cannot afford to become certified by the international bodies (Taylor, 2006; Bett and Freyer, 2007; Mwaura, 2007).
Although formal organic agriculture has existed in Kenya for more than 20 years, there is no government policy thereof, as organic agriculture in the country has largely been ignored. The lack of government policies on organic agriculture can be attributed to the shortage of case studies highlighting organic agriculture‟s economic performance and potential. Kenya‟s organic sector is relatively small and is driven by NGOs. The sector therefore requires government support and funding to realise its growth potential (El-Hage Scialabba, 2000; Bett and Freyer, 2007). This is further advocated by KOAN, which emphasises the need for government policies on organic agriculture.
Kenya‟s organic sector has indirectly benefited from two existing government policies: the NGO Coordinating Act of 1990 (which acknowledges NGOs as collaborators in rural development) and the policy on economic liberalisation (which generated a situation in which „free enterprise‟ could occur) (Taylor, 2006: 24). These policies affect the organic sector indirectly, because they facilitate favourable conditions under which the organic sector can develop and flourish.
It is therefore necessary that the Kenyan government recognise organic agriculture in terms of its social, economic and environmental potential and implement organic agriculture- specific policies to encourage growth within the sector. The potential social benefits include: reduced production costs, improved food security and nutrition, empowerment of women, utilisation of local knowledge and increased employment opportunities. The economic gains include: reduced financial risk, stable yields and improved producer prices.
The environmental benefits of organic farming in Kenya are also far-reaching and include:
conservation of agro-biodiversity, enhanced soil fertility and water quality, improved pest control and reduced erosion (El-Hage Scialabba, 2000; Mwaura, 2007).