Kenya, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has rolled out a Ksh600 million European Union-funded programme aimed at restoring soil health and boosting agricultural productivity for 40,000 smallholder farmers in six counties.

The €4.3 million (about Ksh600 million or $4.7 million) European Union grant will support integrated soil fertility management, soil testing, agro-ecological training, agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture and improved post-harvest handling.

Most of the interventions will be delivered through a digital e-voucher system linking farmers to private-sector input suppliers and service providers.

Launched in Kakamega on Tuesday, the programme seeks to strengthen climate resilience and promote sustainable farming practices as Kenya grapples with declining soil fertility, land degradation and the growing impacts of climate change on food production.

Dubbed Investing in Livelihood Resilience and Soil Health (ILSA), the three-year intervention will be implemented by IFAD in partnership with national and county governments under the Kenya Cereal Enhancement Programme-Climate Resilient Agricultural Livelihoods (KCEP-CRAL).

Speaking during the launch, IFAD Country Director for Kenya Mariatu Kamara said the programme was designed as a continuation of earlier EU-supported agricultural interventions rather than a stand-alone project, allowing Kenya to consolidate gains already achieved under KCEP-CRAL.

Mariatu explained that KCEP-CRAL, launched in 2015 as a partnership between Kenya, the European Union and IFAD, enabled smallholder farmers in 13 counties to access farm inputs through an e-voucher system. The programme was later expanded under the BOOST initiative to promote bio-inputs, agro-ecological practices, and digital delivery mechanisms.

“This action builds on what has already been implemented and tested. We are not introducing something entirely new; we are scaling up approaches that have already demonstrated impact,” Kamara said.

The six implementing counties – Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Embu, Kilifi, Makueni and Taita Taveta — were selected after assessing climate vulnerability, agricultural potential, and the capacity of county governments to implement and sustain the interventions.

“We looked at counties already experiencing climate stress, where productivity improvements are possible and where county governments have shown readiness to integrate these interventions into existing agricultural programmes,” she said.

Kamara emphasised that sustainability is a central pillar of the programme, noting that IFAD’s role is to provide a proof of concept before handing it over to county and national governments.

“IFAD is not here to stay forever. These programmes are deliberately implemented through county structures so that when the grant phases out, counties are able to take over, continue, and even scale up what works,” she said.

State Department for Agriculture Secretary of Administration Rashid Khator said the project aligns with the government’s policy shift towards sustainable soil management and long-term productivity.

“The objective is to enhance soil fertility, reduce land degradation and increase agro-ecosystem resilience. These interventions are essential to improving crop yields, food security and household incomes,” Khator said.

He added that the EU grant will directly support farmers through access to certified seeds, fertiliser, bio-inputs, soil testing services and post-harvest technologies while strengthening extension services, training programmes and monitoring systems to track soil health improvements.

“This will support Kenya’s national priorities on food and nutrition security, climate resilience and sustainable economic growth,” he said, noting that the government would provide the necessary policy and institutional environment to sustain gains after the three-year implementation period.

During the same occasion, Kakamega County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Irrigation and Cooperatives, Moffat Mandela, who represented Governor Fernandes Barasa, said Kakamega was honoured to host the national launch. The county has benefited from all three EU-IFAD agricultural programmes implemented so far.

“This project directly addresses soil health and agroecology, central to making agriculture productive, profitable and resilient. We are committed to mainstreaming these interventions into county programmes to ensure long-term impact,” Mandela said.

He added that the county government views agriculture as an economic enterprise and is keen to move farmers away from subsistence production toward commercially viable farming models that can attract youth and improve rural incomes.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara