This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
July 17, 2020, marked a significant milestone for agriculture in Kenya as Corteva Agriscience, a leading global agriculture company, launched a comprehensive training program aimed at empowering 20,000 farmers, youth, and agriculture communities with sustainable agriculture practices.
The initiative, which is part of Corteva's 2030 sustainability goal to train 25 million farmers worldwide, seeks to increase harvests and household incomes for smallholder farmers through access to agricultural inputs, training, and market linkages.
Speaking during the launch, Humphrey Kiruaye, Corteva Agriscience Country Lead for Kenya and the Great Lakes Region, emphasized the importance of sustainable agriculture practices in enriching the lives of farmers and communities.
One of the key programs under Corteva's initiative is the Corteva Agriscience Women In Agriculture (COWIA) program, which provides technical support to women farmer groups. Already, 2,000 women farmers in Meru County have benefited from quality hybrid seed varieties, agronomic education, and on-farm training.
Another notable project is the One School One Acre (Shule Moja Eka Moja) program, which aims to train 20,000 primary school learners and their parents on sustainable agriculture and food production. The project involves planting one-acre demonstration plots in 35 identified schools across seven counties in Kenya.
According to Joseph Anampiu, Corteva Agriscience Commercial Unit Leader for Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa, the launch of the goals comes at a critical time when farmers are grappling with the challenges of COVID-19. Through digital and social media platforms, Corteva has been able to reach over 100,000 farmers in Kenya with crucial information on sustainable farming methods.
U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter emphasized the importance of sustainable agriculture practices, stating, 'Without land, we have no crops. Without farmers, we have no food. Without communities, as COVID has reminded us, we have nothing.'
