SNV Netherlands Development Organisation has partnered with seven county governments to launch a new initiative aimed at integrating clean energy and regenerative agriculture in Kenya’s food systems.
The initiative dubbed ‘Power for Food Partnership’, launched jointly with the counties of Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, and Nakuru, seeks to strengthen renewable, regenerative, and resilient locally-led food and energy systems.
The programme aims to address challenges faced by rural farmers who lack access to affordable energy for irrigation, processing, or storage factors that continue to limit productivity despite the availability of solar-powered technologies.
According to SNV, the partnership will promote the combined use of regenerative agriculture (RA) and productive use of renewable energy (PURE) to boost yields, reduce emissions, and expand economic opportunities for marginalised groups, particularly women and youth.
“This partnership is an opportunity to think differently about how systems can work together, and who gets to shape them. Beyond a technical overlap, the focus on nexus points between regenerative agriculture and productive use of renewable energy, through better coordination, smarter, more inclusive investments and the primacy of stronger local leadership are vital to scaling outcomes,” said SNV Kenya and Burundi Country Director Rebecca Hallam.
SNV noted that despite Africa’s agricultural sector employing nearly 80 percent of the rural population, most farmers remain trapped in low-productivity systems due to high input costs, uncertain returns, and limited access to clean energy.
Through the new partnership, the organisation will work with national and county governments, civil society, and the private sector to promote policies and investments that encourage adoption of clean energy in farming while building resilience against climate shocks.
The initiative builds on the success of the project, jointly implemented by SNV and the IKEA Foundation since 2019, which promoted regenerative agriculture in five counties.
With the inclusion of Busia and Nandi in this new phase, SNV says the partnership will deepen efforts to create a sustainable, locally-led transformation of Kenya’s food and energy systems.
