Kenya is easily the most diversified commercial agricultural sector in East Africa, with 87 different types of agricultural products. Kenya’s strategic location, diverse agroecological zones, and coastal access have made it a trade and financial hub in East Africa. While the services sector has grown, agriculture remains a significant contributor to the economy, constituting over 30% of GDP. A majority of households depend on agriculture for a significant portion of their income.

The country’s agricultural sector satisfies most of its food crop demand. With 10.3 million hectares of agricultural land operated by households, agriculture covers 17.5% of Kenya’s total land area. Key foreign exchange earners are coffee, tea, and pyrethrum, while sugarcane and maize contribute significantly to crop production.

Kenya’s agriculture includes both subsistence farming and a diversified commercial coffee sector. Over the past decade, undernutrition has significantly decreased due to health campaigns. Improved irrigation techniques and services have expanded arable land and the availability of diverse products.

To achieve its industrialization goals outlined in Vision 2030, Kenya seeks to add value to agricultural produce. As the population is expected to double by 2050, the country faces the challenge of making the food system resilient to climate change while expanding production. Kenya’s total factor productivity (TFP) lags behind some peers, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches.

In response to the economic impact of Covid-19, Kenya will prioritize initiatives to ensure food security and nutrition for all. This includes expanding food production, reducing food prices, and supporting value addition in the food processing value chain. Enhancing large-scale production, improving smallholder productivity, and reducing costs are central to these efforts.

The recently launched National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) aims to transform the sector through coordinated efforts with multiple stakeholders, including the establishment of the Agricultural Transformation Office (ATO). Part of the Big Four Agenda, the NAIP 2019-2024 focuses on small-scale farmer incomes, agricultural output, value addition, and household food resilience.