Agroecology, a holistic approach that combines environmental, economic and social lenses to food systems, is on the rise in Kenya. In the past, farmers seeking alternative approaches to food production settled on organic production methods and combined other environment-friendly modalities. Depending on the number of approaches integrated and the target markets, produce from these farmers would be labelled organic, sustainable, ethical, Fairtrade or other similar terms. The downside to these production methods is that they often leave out the producers and their welfare and livelihoods.
Thinking differently about food systems
A food system comprises not only the land, soils and environment, but the people involved in the production, transportation and consumption and how well they are situated in that environment. Thus, issues such as knowledge, diets, land governance and culture and traditions come up.
Agroecology considers not only the actual production processes but also seeks to transform the economic and social aspects of the producers and their communities. This way of thinking about food systems is particularly important for countries like Kenya, where 70% of farmers are small-scale holders. They farm on small farms, mostly family-owned and are not always able to counter the effects of a changing climate such as drought and various global, political and economic upheavals that affect food production.
Agroecology producers in Kenya
Organizations such as the Community Sustainable Agriculture and Healthy Environment Program (CSHEP-Kenya) train farmers on how to produce food agroecologically. Sometimes, this involves remembering indigenous food production methods and re-orienting them with modern and innovative practices and techniques, a process known as co-creation of knowledge, one of the elements of agroecology. Other techniques include recycling, biodiversity, synergy, efficiency and resilience, all of which are made possible when intercropping, rotating crops and in mixed crop-livestock systems and agroforestry. Although the production side is increasingly incorporating multiple elements of Agroecology, the market side still categorizes produce in a binary form: organic versus conventional.
Organic agriculture has often been linked to niche markets where certification and premium pricing exclude many ordinary consumers. This framing risks turning safe food into a luxury. Agroecology, by contrast, emphasizes local production with minimal external inputs, making it less dependent on certification and premium markets. While not immune to capture by elites, its orientation toward local access and affordability positions it as more inclusive, aiming to make safe food available across rather than restricting it to consumers who can pay extra.
Group Certification Scheme
Consumers need to identify and differentiate produce in the market. Labels such as organic are one way to achieve this. Stakeholders including the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) provide certification and labelling. The Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) is a group scheme, which ensures lower certification costs compared to third-party schemes. In addition, peer review, where farmers review each other’s farms ensures community building. According to Esther Kagai of CSHEP-Kenya, peer reviews result in knowledge exchange and compliance with the standards of certification. After a product is certified, it is labelled to help customers identify it and have confidence that it has been produced organically. There are no labels for Agroecology yet, despite its practice on the production side perhaps due to low consumer awareness and subsequently, demand.
Better Access to Markets
Organic produce is finding its way into more markets. Supermarkets and other retail outlets are increasingly carrying produce with organic labels. Farmers markets are also growing, even in middle and lower-income areas such as Kiserian and Kikuyu towns. Other markets are popping up outside of Nairobi including Muranga and Kirinyaga. Labels such as Kilimohai serve to boost consumer confidence in the quality and safety of the produce. Some agroecology producers are preferring to sell their produce in open markets, without any visible distinction from conventional produce possibly due to lack of specialized markets.
Policy and Legislation
There are various efforts to mainstream agroecology in policy. Nationally, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development with ISFAA (Intersectoral Forum on Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology) and other Civil Society partners formulated and launched the National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation strategy in 2024. At the county level, multiple counties have domesticated an agroecology strategy or policy while others are at different levels of policy formulation to mainstream agroecology in their agricultural production policies. However, few if any, policies promote agroecology among consumers. The Consumer Grassroots Association (CGA) is working on the demand side to ensure better-informed consumers. Alice Nyaberi of CGA believes that legislation is crucial to give grounds for legal action to be taken. Thus, both consumer and farmer policy advocacy are necessary to mainstream agroecology. These agroecology strategies and policies can provide the institutional frameworks through which consumers can demand better, safe food.
Consumer Awareness
Lower costs of production, better access to markets, training of farmers and certification schemes have allowed higher production and availability of organic produce. Indeed, farmers now can produce enough to meet market demand. Sylvia of Sylvia's basket emphasises that producers have no problem with keeping up with demand. However, consumer demand has yet to catch up. Part of the reason is low awareness among consumers and non-alignment between consumers and producers. Consumers prioritise food safety and quality. Food safety concerns, particularly those concerning pesticide use and contaminated irrigation water are top of mind for many consumers. This may be partly due to media reports highlighting these issues.
Both Esther and Sylvia note that many consumers who shop organic are concerned about their health or nutrition. Some might have a sick family member and are looking for guaranteed safe food. Indeed, when selling organic produce to customers, Sylvia prefers to use the terms “safe, pesticide-free” as it aligns with what many consumers are looking for, which is not necessarily "organic." On the other hand, some consumers consider “organic” as expensive and for wealthy consumers only while “agroecology” is still a relatively new term to them.
For now, the biggest need among consumers in Kenya is for safe and quality food, and Agroecology producers are providing this. More public communication about other social, environmental, and economic issues in food systems could help raise consumer awareness on these issues leading to demand for Agroecological produce. Alice Nyaberi of the Consumer Grassroots Association believes that if consumers are saying no to certain practices or prefer certain practices over others, then producers will change the supply.
Thus, marketers and sellers of agroecological produce, farmer groups/cooperatives, and other stakeholders need to continue informing the public on the need to transform food systems and the policies and frameworks that support the transformation. The more the consumers are aware, the more they can demand better, by choosing where and how to spend their money. However, consumer power goes beyond individual choices. Collective awareness can translate into organized demand, pressuring government through petitions, shaping legislation, and mobilising social and political action that compels both markets and policymakers to deliver better and safer food systems.
