Aflasafe™ pea amendment for usaid/East Africa February 2015
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- Baseline Environmental Conditions
KenyaFarming is integral to Kenyan life and underpins the nation’s economy. More than half of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP) is based on agriculture, and the farming sector employs three-quarters of the country’s workforce. Despite its central role at the household and national levels, farming in Kenya fails to meet the country’s food security needs, with 2 – 4 million of Kenya’s total population (about 45 million) receiving food aid.6,7 Food security challenges will deepen in coming years as Kenya’s population increases by almost one million annually. In the context of population growth, the manufacture and use of aflasafe—a bio-pesticide that can reduce crop loss from toxic mold, and improve the safety and nutritional value of treated crops—is being proposed as one means of enhancing food production and promoting economic development. Food crops are generally categorized as cereals (maize, wheat, sorghum, millet, rice), grain legumes (dry beans, pigeon peas, green grams, dolichos), or root and tuber crops (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, yams and arrow roots). These crops are cultivated by smallholder farmers for household consumption and for sale in local markets, as well as by larger commercial enterprises targeting regional or overseas export markets. Through entities like the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)8 and other state actors, the Kenyan government has promoted increased cereal yields as key to meeting growing food production needs. Maize is the leading cereal crop, and a twenty-year goal of doubling maize production under the Strategic Plan for cereals to more than 6.7 million tons (1993 – 2013) underscores the importance of this crop across sectors.9 Independent of production milestones, maize remains a dietary staple, with the average Kenyan consuming 98 kilograms despite some of the highest prices in sub-Saharan Africa.10 Maize production and consumption in Kenya stand to benefit substantially from the bio-control of aflatoxins. In addition to improving the nutritional value of maize, the substantial reduction or elimination of aflatoxins increases food safety. In 2004, the significance of the risk of aflatoxins to public health was highlighted when an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis (i.e., poisoning by aflatoxins) in Eastern and Central Kenya was attributed to 125 deaths from the consumption of maize from smallholder farmers.11 The use of aflasafe in Kenya may also accelerate efforts to increase the value of exports of maize or other crops (e.g., groundnuts [peanuts]) that are otherwise at-risk of contamination from aflatoxins. The potential role and impact of aflasafe-oriented marketing, certification and/or distribution efforts are detailed in the core PEA, and address the premium that aflasafe-treated maize or other crops may command in local and international markets. The use of aflasafe may enable Kenyan producers to export agricultural goods to new markets, or at higher volumes than previously possible due to the threat posed by aflatoxins. In this regard, the bio-control of aflatoxins through the use of aflasafe may boost farm incomes and promote broader economic growth. Despite a frequent lack of access to larger or export markets, smallholder farmers will benefit from the use of aflasafe through the cultivation and consumption of food that is safer for them and their families. Baseline Environmental ConditionsMap 1: Topographic Map of Kenya Geography. Kenya is located in East Africa with 536 kilometers (km) of coastline along the Indian Ocean. It shares borders with Ethiopia and Somalia to the north and northeast, South Sudan and Uganda to the west, and Tanzania to the south. The total area of the country is around 580,000 sq km. Kenya has a population of almost 45 million people, 3.4 million of which live in the capital city of Nairobi, located in the central highlands. Mombasa, located on the southeastern coast of Kenya, is the second largest city by population, at almost one million.12  Directory: repository -> doc doc -> Doc 9718 an/957 Handbook on Radio Frequency Spectrum Requirements for Civil Aviation doc -> Cancun convention & visitors bureau trends and Economy Report – September 2009 repository -> 8th grade English Language Department Taldykorgan Tasks for Olympiad 8 doc -> Republic of Kosovo Government Ministry of Economic Development doc -> Reporte inteligenicia doc -> Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (persuap) doc -> Initial environmental examination (iee) and/or categorical exclusion doc -> Initial environmental examination program/activity data: Program/Activity Number doc -> Doc 9718 an/957 Handbook on Radio Frequency Spectrum Requirements for Civil Aviation Download 4.37 Mb. Share with your friends:
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