There is a greater need for the Kenyan government to establish favourable policies that will facilitate easy accessibility to land and credit facilities for women farmers in the country, a food expert has noted.
Speaking to journalists in Nakuru, Prof Gideon Obare, the Kenyan coordinator for the Adoption Pathways, a project intended to intensify advocacy in gender equity in farming activities to establish sustainable food production in the Eastern and Southern Africa said consistent gender disparities in agricultural activities is a major cause to reduced productivity.
“Though women contribute over 80 per cent of the farming labour force, they unequal access to land and credit facilities unlike men and this largely contributes to lower agricultural productivity and higher household poverty levels,” said Prof.Obare.
Further, the food expert, regretted the limited consideration women are given in the adoption of farming technologies which has continued to widen the food insecurity and rural poverty gap in the Eastern and Southern Africa countries.
“It is therefore important that the government in the concerned countries including Kenya come up with policies that can enable women largely contribute to increased food production,” added Prof.Obare.
He said Sustainable Agricultural Intensification which involves inclusion of both gender in the adoption of methods and technologies that leads to sustainable food production is the key to eradicating household poverty.
The four year project(2012-2016) is funded by the Australian government through the Australian International Food Security Centre.
It will be undertaken in five countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique at cost of Sh 3 million Australian Dollars.
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