Sustainable.
Agriculture.

Iconserve seeks to support small holder farmers to adopt the most impactful climate-smart technology, mindsets and regenerative practices that safeguard people, nature and the environment.

FOREST DEGRADATION

Kenya has continued to face the wrath of deforestation and forest degradation since independence. The effects of this are clear. Kenya is among countries of the world with a forest cover of less than 10 percent of total land mass. But what are the factors which have contributed to massive deforestation in Kenya?

The principal drivers according to Kenya Forest Service study report 2010, were summarized in order of importance as clearance for agriculture that is linked to rural poverty and rapid population growth, unsustainable utilization (including timber harvesting, charcoal production, grazing in forests), and past governance and institutional failures in the forest sector. However, there was need to seek the views and opinions from various parts of the country and have a closer look at the possible underlying causes of deforestastion.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Agriculture remains central to solving the poverty conundrum. Understanding the role of agriculture in poverty alleviation is instrumental in comprehending the overall development process. The small-scale production is also faced by a host of other constraints including limited access to credit, lack of inventory credit, high production costs, poor quality seeds and fertilizers all of which exacerbate the cost of production. In addition there is lack of institutional infrastructure in form of efficient producer organizations.

POLLUTION AND
HEALTH

Most of the people living in countries within sub-Saharan Africa (nearly 80 per cent of the entire population) rely on inefficient and hazardous forms of energy for cooking, lighting and heating. This is mainly due to high poverty levels and low levels of industrialization in these countries. Many households lack electricity and so energy consumption is essentially reliant on biomass fuel (wood, dung, coal and other solid fuels), which when burnt indoors cause pollution that has serious health implications on both children and adults. Some of the diseases triggered by indoor pollution include acute respiratory infections, lung cancer, blindness, TB and miscarriages. In Kenya, indoor air pollution is a major health concern and has been ranked among the factors linked to high morbidity in the country. So far, little has been done by the Government to pinpoint appropriate and affordable interventions to reduce it. It is, therefore, imperative for every Kenyan to know the effects of this pollution. Mothers living in rural households can be educated on the best ways to keep safe while, for example, cooking at home. They can cook outdoors, keep children away from smoke and improve ventilation in their homes. Improved affordable stoves and clean fuels for cooking can go a long way in curbing the effects of indoor air pollution.