Insuring more smallholder farmers will boost food security
Farmers check on damage wreaked by heavy rains on a farm in Kisumu. Because of the large variety of constraints that smallholders face, agriculture insurance will be more efficient when embedded in a comprehensive value chain strategy. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Many of these constraints are beyond the farmers’ control as they depend on environmental conditions, policies or market players.
Value chains work best when all the elements cooperate to produce higher-quality products and generate more income for all participants along the chain.
Kenya has become one of Africa’s pioneers in developing an agriculture insurance market to protect smallholders and pastoralists against the risks of the unpredictable and changing climate.
The success of most insurance projects lies in the combination of insurance with other services, such as loans, in-kind seed pay-outs and government programmes that improve soil conditions and infrastructure.
Agriculture is the main source of income for many rural communities in Kenya and is essential for food production.
Life for rural smallholder farmers is often marred by difficulties. There are many constraints limiting their economic potential.
