LEX-FAOC042817

This Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization Strategic Plan (KALROSP) 2017 – 2021 describes the road-map to guide KALRO’s research in crops, livestock, genetic resources, plant and animal health, national resource management, agricultural mechanization as well as application of cutting edge research techniques such as biotechnology tools to contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector. KALRO's Vision is “Excellence in agricultural and livestock research towards transformed livelihoods”; and the Mission is “To conduct agricultural research through application of science, technology and innovation to catalyse sustainable growth and development in agriculture and livestock product value chains”. Five Key Result Areas (KRA) have been identified for focus, namely: 1) Development of technologies and innovations; 2) sharing, storing and collation of research knowledge, information and products; 3) generation and advocacy of socioeconomic information, market and policy options; 4) strengthening organizational capacities and resource management and lastly 5) developing and operationalizing systems for coordination and regulation of research. The KALROSP plans to contribute to helping eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The relevant strategies include: Develop and promote improved crop varieties and livestock breeds, forages and improved feeds and feeding systems; Develop good agronomic technologies/ practices and livestock husbandry practices; Develop pre- and post-harvest handling and storage technologies and practices; Develop and promote emerging crops; etc. In order to make agriculture more productive and sustainable, the following strategic objective are set up: 1) To improve crop production, productivity and utilization; 2) To improve livestock production, productivity and products utilization; 3) To develop environmental friendly technologies and natural resource systems for sustainability; etc. The relevant strategies to be adopted: a) Develop and promote natural resources management technologies for sustainable crops and livestock production and better range management; b) Support plant genetic resources conservation; c) Develop and promote water management technologies for agricultural production; d) Develop and promote agriculture and livestock waste management; e) Develop technologies for environmental sustainability and green production; f) Develop and promote integrated biodiversity conservation technologies; g) Support animal genetic resources conservation; etc. The Policy also seeks to support more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems by the the following strategies: a) Improve and maintain crop health and food safety; Support the development of processing and value addition of crop products; b) Develop and promote organic farming; Document, adapt and promote approved Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) on crops; c) Develop and promote biopolymers’ research and products; d) Develop and promote emerging livestock including beneficial insects; e) Develop and upscale best practices in handling of livestock and livestock products; f) Support the development of processing and value addition of livestock products; g) Document, adapt and promote approved Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) on livestock; h) Acquire, test and adapt agricultural machinery, equipment/implements for efficient agricultural operations; i) Develop, apply and commercialize plant biotechnology knowledge, information and technologies; j) analyse and provide agricultural market information; k) Contribute to development of appropriate input and output markets; etc. In addition, the following strategies will be adopted to contribute to reducing rural poverty: a) Generate and promote use of agricultural economics information; b) Generate and promote use of social and cultural information; c) Develop approaches for mainstreaming equity within gender, youth and people living with disabilities in agriculture; etc. The policy also plans to support the resilience of livelihood to disaster. The most relevant strategy is to develop and promote climate change adaptation and mitigation technologies.