A grassroots regenerative agriculture initiative is helping Kenyan smallholders cut crop failure, reduce chemical reliance and dramatically improve yields
Kenyan smallholders are celebrating healthier soils and soaring harvests following a regenerative agriculture drive led by Farm Africa.
The charity’s STRAK project – Strengthening Regenerative Agriculture in Kenya – aims to boost rural livelihoods and improve climate resilience, and has supported 60,000 farmers since 2017.
The initiative upskills local farmers in regenerative techniques. They are then tasked with sharing their newfound knowledge within their communities.
More than 70% of participating farmers in Kenya’s Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties have adopted methods such as intercropping, agro-forestry, crop rotation and use of farmyard manure. They’re reporting up to 81% higher yields and 92% improvement in water retention. Meanwhile crop failure, soil erosion and dependence on chemicals have sharply reduced.
Outcomes have been validated by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry, which analysed samples from 2,000 project sites and reported massive improvements in soil health and microbial diversity.
“These results clearly demonstrate that regenerative agriculture is not just an environmental intervention, it is an economic one,” said Farm Africa’s country director, Mary Nyale.
“By equipping smallholder farmers with the tools, knowledge and market linkages to farm regeneratively, we are seeing sustainable improvements in yields, soil fertility and incomes. This evidence shows that regenerative agriculture can work at scale and deliver measurable impact for both people and the planet.”
Main image: Godfrey Kirimi displays tomotoes from his farm in Tharaka Nithi. Photography by Bertha Lutome
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