Factors Affecting Food Security in Kenya

  

Date Posted: 4/13/2018 4:15:35 AM

Posted By: vmwas  Membership Level: Bronze  Total Points: 52

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Factors Affecting Food Security in Kenya

1.Deforestation; this is cutting down of trees without replanting. Deforestation in Kenya has led to unpredictable rainfall pattern which has greatly affected food production.

2. Expansion of cities; this has led to conversion of arable land to cities in Kenya like kiambu, kisii are good example. People are interested in building cities inlands which were initially used for farming thus reducing food production.

3. Rural urban migration; off late in Kenya there has been massive migration of population from rural to urban especially youth who believe in the urban there is greener pasture and one can only become successful in the urban .Young generation are more productive and when they move to urban they leave behind the elderly and children who are less productive leading to low food production due to low man power.

4. Natural calamities; Drought affects food production contributing to vulnerability to food insecurity.
Famine leads to crop failure and death of livestock making the community and nation to depend on foreign food aids.

Flood affects food security by destroying crops and animal drowning.
It also destroys roads thus accessibility to markets and homes becomes hard.
It also displaces people from homes thus people cannot engage in food production activities.
5. Unemployment; majority of Kenyan suffer unemployment and poverty which affects food purchasing power thus rendering them food insecure.

6. Government policies;
No matter how much the government tries to reduce tax on agricultural input the burden is still heavy on farmers leading to high cost of food production.
Road charges hinder transportation of food from high potential area to low potential areas

Measure to Improve Food Security in Kenya

1.Agricultural education; This can be done through agriculture extension workers through the ministry of agriculture where farmers are educated on appropriate method of farming, crop rotation, adoption of new technology in farming.

2. Green house technology;

this technology have not fully be embraced in Kenya. It involves modifying temperature and environment to it favorable for crop production.
It reduces maturity time for crop and make crop that cannot grow on certain area because of environmental conditions be grown now using the green house technology.

3. Irrigation; most farmers depend on rain on farming and this leads to seasonal food crisis due to unpredictable rainfall.
Irrigation can improve food security in semi arid areas and constructions of dams to be used to get water for irrigation.

4. Kitchen gardening; as simple as people see it but can play a great role by producing food which can sustain people at household level. Usage of sacks with soils if the land is minimal can be used to grow vegetables and short maturity level.
If all families in Kenya adopt kitchen gardening food insecurity problem would be erased completely.

5. Having income generating activities; poverty will be erased thus improving food security
Formation of self help groups will enable people to access soft loans from banks, saccos and government funds and people can start small projects like fish farming, poultry rearing and other income generating projects.
Improved storage and preservation techniques; government should invest more on storage and preservation equipment to avoid wastage of food during plenty seasons and suffer after the season is over.post harvest technology can help close food seasonal gap.

6. Utilization of available lands;some lands in Kenya is just idle,government should ensure and put into law that all lands should be fully utilized this will help improve food security in Kenya.

All citizen should be taught on how to put their hands to work instead of depending on foreign aids because this dependant mentality is affecting the food security and the economy at large.

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