The project, funded through a USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Leader with Associates award, connects herders to markets, credit services and livestock-health inputs that improve productivity, as well as focuses on improving policy that affects pastoralists. Working with local partners, the Kenya Livestock Marketing Council (KLMC) and the Agricultural Market Development Trust (AGMARK), CNFA will improve incomes and food security for at least 50,000 households, create 600 new jobs and facilitate access to credit to catalyze trade, production, and value-adding activities.
KDLDP focuses on the entire livestock value chain and has five principal goals:
Improving livestock productivity and competitiveness
Through KDLDP, CNFA is increasing productivity and competitiveness for pastoral herders by improving access to agrovet inputs, animal health services and disease surveillance, as well as increasing both knowledge of and demand for improved fodder and other inputs.
Enhancing livestock trade & marketing
KDLDP creates vital linkages between producers and traders, as well as connects producers to financial tools and market information. The program also improves the capacity of the District Livestock Marketing Councils (DLMS) and improves the existing market infrastructure.
Creating value addition to livestock products
KDLDP works to identify new market opportunities, such as value addition and niche markets, as well as develops new enterprises and supports existing ones.
Supporting more favorable policy environment for entire livestock value chain
In order to foster a policy environment that is more favorable to small livestock producers, who often have little input into market prices, KDLDP helps to increase local capacity, develop policy roundtables and hold events for the public participation in the policy process.
Promoting strategies for mitigating effects of climate change
Because drought has already hit the pastoral grazing lands, CNFA has developed several strategies to ameliorate conditions on the ground quickly, including activating early commercial de-stocking and expanding fodder production and access to keep the breeding herd alive.
As one of the first projects implemented in Africa under USAID’s “Feed the Future” (FTF) program, a global hunger and food security initiative, KDLDP is successfully working toward the program’s goal of reducing global hunger and poverty through sustainable development initiatives. Building on CNFA’s successful work in East Africa as well as on the Farmer-to-Farmer program in Kenya, KDLDP will send volunteers on short-term assignments to provide training and technical assistance all along the livestock value chain, working with pastoralist and women’s groups throughout the program area, as well as processors, buyers, and policy-makers in and around Nairobi and Kenya’s coastal market cities.
Program Targets:
- Over 50,000 pastoralist households enjoying expanded incomes and greater food security
- 600 new livestock value chain jobs created
- 100 agrovets and 50 community animal health workers (CAHWs) strengthened and providing improved goods and services to pastoralist customers with 50 percent growth in sales
- 75 enterprises, groups and associations have received grant assistance
- New loans of over $7.2 million catalyzing trade, production and value-adding activities
- DMLCs have viable business plans for sustainability and are providing improved, expanded services to members
- Matching grants have catalyzed private sector investment of up to $1 million in private sector investment
- Pastoralists as a group are better able and prepared to represent themselves in policy discussions
