A number of various agricultural stakeholders in partnership with the Murang’a government have launched a policy framework to promote the production of safe and healthy foods in the County.
On Tuesday, the stakeholders launched an action on the operationalization of Murang’a Agroecology Policy and Act aimed to guide and support the growing of food crops using organic methods.
The county director for agricultural value chains, policy, and strategy Mr. Daniel Gitahi underscored the importance of the policy saying that once implemented will ensure the production of foods that are not laced with harmful chemicals.
The policy, he added, will support growing of crops using organic pest control methods and fertilizers as well as promoting the marketing of organically produced foods.
Gitahi, backed by some officials drawn from various non-governmental organizations, explained that the national food safety policy of 2013 demands producers to follow required production standards to ensure safe food farming.
“With the implementation of the policy on agroecology, farmers in Murang’a will embark to grow their crops organically will ensure their produce access local international markets for foods grown without use of conventional chemicals,” he explained.
Murang’a county, he noted, has identified agroecology as one of the solutions to enhance its agricultural productivity, create employment, enhance food and nutrition security, and environmental protection.
“Embracing agroecology will help in restoring soil health, prudent natural resource management, use of local biodegradable materials and evading use of hazardous substances.” He underscored.
Gitahi continued “we seek to employ diverse agroecology strategies to ensure that food security interventions are sustainable while conserving the ecosystems and reducing the effects of climate change and disease incidences in both human, livestock, and other forms of life.”
His sentiments were echoed by the Programmes Coordinator of the Institute for Culture and Ecology (ICE) Mr. Elijah Kamau who said the policy will provide for sensitizing and training farmers on how to embrace organic farming.
He observed that some of the conventional pesticides being used currently by farmers are hazardous thus the need to promote organic pesticides and manure to grow safe and healthy foods.
“With the policy, we will champion the production of safe and healthy foods through embracing agroecology strategies which are not harmful to humans and the environment.
“Various farmer groups have been engaged in the implementation framework of the policy which also gives guidelines on marketing of organically produced foods,” added Kamau.
Murang’a county director of agriculture Mr. Peter Muchiri noted they will bring on board some higher education institutions to help in the research and promotion of agroecology.
“Murang’a University of Technology among other institutions will be involved especially to help in research and production of organic pesticides and fertilizers for our farmers. This policy also gives guidelines for funding from the county government so the farmers access required farm inputs for increased production,” he added.
The launching of the policy comes a few weeks after the release of a research report by Route to Food Health Initiative (RTFI) that indicated about 76 percent of agrochemicals used in the country are harmful.
“To avoid and manage some non-communicable diseases is through consumption of safe and healthy foods. Such foods can only be produced through use of organic inputs,” averred Muchiri.
By Bernard Munyao
