By Emmanuel Atamba
There are two routes for Kenya’s food and farming system. One, the industrial model of farming which commodifies food systems and which has been fronted as the only way to produce plenty of cheap and easily accessible food. The implication of this approach is damage to the same environment that feeds us and negative impacts on our health, particularly from the toxic agrochemicals that industrial agriculture thrives on.
The other route is a more sustainable form of agriculture and people-centered food systems that guarantee food production in harmony with nature. This approach, however, seems less attractive to private sector players. So, which way for Kenya’s food system?
The debate on the use of pesticides in Kenya is one that clearly illustrates the dilemma. Under the government’s watch, the industry has been pushing for increased pesticide use, despite rising user and consumer safety concerns. International companies generate less than 6 percent of global pesticides sales in Africa, making the continent a key market for a profitable trade. Consequently, access to safe, nutritious food is increasingly becoming doubtful. The recent revelations in Kenya about the food we eat depicts a broken food system that requires urgent interventions to repair and restore it…Read more>>
