Environment and food security for poverty alleviation in the Lake Victoria basin

Abstract

This paper presents the food security situation in Kenya, as well as the factors that affect it: lack of proper food and nutrition, land policy, investment in rural infrastructure, and research on Kenyan food crops, livestock, fisheries, and other products; inadequate agricultural research and extension to generate new production technologies; very low proportion of land under irrigation; unfavourable domestic and external terms of trade; shortage of inputs; political philosophies that give low priority to agriculture; heavy hand of bureaucracy on input supply and output marketing; internal strife with escalating inter-tribal intolerance; and high population and fertility rates. Indicators of food insecurity and sustainable intervention measures are also presented. It is suggested that programmes for future action should aim at eliminating food shortage; preventing famine and its consequences; increasing the productivity of food systems; increasing and maintaining access to resources; developing proper food and nutrition policies; and establishing nutritional surveillance system.