Title: Regional Trade and Rural Livelihoods: Implications on Kenya’s Food Security

Title: Regional Trade and Rural Livelihoods: Implications on Kenya’s Food Security By Gloria Otieno

Presentation Outline

Kenya Context Food Security Situation • Poverty in Kenya currently stands 46% • Over 10 million Kenyans are facing food poverty – (cannot meet 50% of daily food requirements). • Currently 0ver 4.5 million Kenyans are in need of food aid partly due to • drought especially in the ASALs and • high food prices ( 100-130% above normal) especially in the urban areas. • output of Maize fell from a surplus of 9million bags in 2006 to a deficit of 15 million bags on 2009 • Deficit therefore requires imports from the region

The Kenyan Context: Trade • Kenya ascribes to two main Regional Trade Agreements • COMESA – Customs Union ( 19 Countries in ESA) • EAC – Customs Union – UG, TZ, Rwanda, Burundi • Exports to the Region consist of Consumer goods & Petroleum Products • Main trading partner is Uganda 15.6%, and Tanzania- 7.7% and Rwanda 3.3%).

Kenyan Context contd’ • Imports are mainly from Tanzania and Uganda and consist of Grains – maize, beans and finger millet, as well as fruits and vegetables • Most trade is informal through porous borders and mainly carried out by small scale producers and traders in small but significant quantities. • Livelihoods in most rural areas therefore depend on agriculture, livestock production or small scale trade • Impacts on incomes and food security.

Objectives and TORs

Specific Objectives …1 • To collect information on and analyse • The recent trends in regional trade in agriculture in the EAC, and • Linkages btn, trade, food security and rural livelihoods in Kenya;

Specific Objectives..(2) • Determine the magnitude and composition of formal and informal Agricultural trade and implications on food security and rural livelihoods in Kenya • Implications food prices • Implications on volumes • Implications on Rural Livelihoods • Incomes, employment and poverty • categorization – pastoralists, farmers, urban poor and ASALs

Specific Objectives..(3) • Examining policy implications • Roles of different actors/stakeholders • National policies related to agriculture, trade and food security • Development of a framework to leverage regional trade in agriculture to improve food security and rural livelihoods in Kenya

Research Plan • Phase I • Desk review of existing literature, secondary data on trends on trade, food security and livelihoods in Kenya • Phase II • Determining Linkages between and Implications of Trade, food security and rural livelihoods in Kenya • Phase III -Analysis of policy implications, roles of stakeholders and synergies • Various Initiatives on food security/aid • Various stakeholders, institutions and key players • National Policy framework

Data Sources/Types..1 • Secondary data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture International Statistical Sources. • Primary data collection Key informant survey- stakeholders, institutions, key government agencies

Expected Outputs • Preliminary report based on phase I of the research (desk review) • Draft report based on Phase I and II after data collection and synthesis • Final Report to be presented at a national consultation/stakeholder’s forum • Policy brief based on the research findings

Thank You!

Title: Regional Trade and Rural Livelihoods: Implications on Kenya’s Food Security