Focus of the project

To address these challenges, SNV partnered with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) to implement this project whose main objective is to enhance the livelihoods of agro-pastoralist communities through improved forage production and livestock husbandry, building on the commercialisation of climate-smart innovations and sustainable landscape management in the three counties.

To achieve this goal, the project takes a holistic approach focusing on three interlinked outcomes or pathways to ensure long-term change.

The project will engage farmers, agro-pastoralists, youth, women, private sector, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), self-help groups, Community Based Organisations (CBOs), ranches, conservancies, cooperatives, and County Governments to achieve its results. The project will pay special attention to the role of youth and women and their meaningful engagement.

Objectives:

• Research applied and commercialised through: increased resilience of agro-pastoralists and SMEs against climate shocks by the adoption of improved forage seed technologies and upscaling of appropriate grazing and feeding innovations.
• Capacities strengthened, and coordination realised through: Increased capacity of county governments to implement climate resilient integrated landscape management strategies and plans to support agro-pastoralist communities.
• Policies applied, and strategies developed through: Improved capacity of county governments to develop local strategies for drought resilient livestock sector and landscape development compliant with national policies.

Expected results:

• 10,000 agro-pastoralists households progressively realize a living income through improved production and marketing of animal feed and fodder and become more resilient to climate shocks by applying drought resilient practices.
• 150 SMEs apply new technologies that enable them to provide affordable livestock relevant products and services to ASAL communities and livestock keepers.
• 3 county governments include validated livestock climate research results and innovations in improving county policies, and collaborate in joint interventions to promote and enable a landscape approach to natural resource management, infrastructure development and commercial opportunities in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA).
• The agro-pastoralists and SMEs have better access to forages, fodder seeds and vegetative materials, as necessary value chain inputs.
• Women and youth of the communities are benefiting through improved skills, access to finance, business opportunities and increased social capital and adaptive capacity.