NAIROBI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is in a better position to become food secure and meet the global food security 2030 deadline, a United Nations official said on Friday.
Gabriel Rugalema, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Kenya Country Representative, said the current government interventions and strategies are capable of ensuring that Kenya becomes food secure by the year 2030.
"The peaceful environment in this country and the devolved system of governance is good environments for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals on food security and poverty reduction since it is already making the country make economic growth," Rugalema told journalists in Nairobi ahead of the World Food Day celebrations.
He however said that the country is capable of achieving the goals only if investments in water, irrigation and availability of news seeds are given priority.
"Lack of quality seeds, water and access to market are still issues that require concerted efforts to enable farmers earn their due benefits as they produce enough food for populations," he said.
The UN official also called for increased awareness on food consumption to enable populations eat the right food.
"Many people have food in plenty but due to lack of information they end up eating wrong foods that lead to obesity and stunting," Rugalema noted.
He called on the government to help look at ways of solving permanently post harvest food loss at production, transport and markets levels to enable populations access the foods in good time.
Rugalema also said that the farmers require good agricultural practices such as Climate Smart Agriculture to enable them cope with the climate change.
Annalisa Conte, World Food Program Kenya Country Representative, noted that Kenya only needs to properly blend the food security strategy and communicate it through devolved system to become food secure.
"Unlike countries such as Somalia, Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya is well placed to meet the global Zero Hunger World by 2030," said Conte.
She said that the conflicts in some countries are a big stumbling block to meeting the set global goals as it has forced many people to settle in the refugee camps.
Andrew Tuimur, chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, revealed that Kenya has developed a strategy to help reduce food loss due to poor post harvest management that has attributed to 30 percent loss.
"The strategy is expected to reduce food post harvest loss to 10 percent in the next 10 years," he added.
Tuimur appealed to private investors to come on board in supporting the development of vegetables and cereals driers to reduce losses.
He however said that even though the government has put in place measures aimed at reducing hunger and poverty, climate change effects are a major stumbling block.
"We are optimistic that our 'Big Four Agenda' will be key in enhancing food and nutrition security for all Kenyans through expansion of food production and supply, reduction of food prices to ensure affordability and support to value addition in the food processing value chain." he added.
