From Farm to Fork: Celebrating World Food Day 2023
AGRICULTURAL
Famers visiting the NICE project exhibition booth during the World Food Day 2023 celebrations

NICE brings together urban dwellers, farmers, producers, and other food system players for the World Food Day 2023 commemoration in Bungoma County in line with the theme of water conservation.

World Food Day is celebrated worldwide on October 16th to raise awareness of food production and the importance of promoting food security. This year's theme #Water is life, #Water is Food #Leave no one behind, shines a spotlight on the need to conserve water and its impact on sustainable agriculture.

In partnership with other key stakeholders such as:  Solidaridad East Africa, Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT), cereal growers’ association, Farm to Market Alliance (FTMA) and the county government of Bungoma, farmers and key stakeholders showed up in numbers to exhibit their technologies and successful projects covering aspects of sustainable production, value addition and the link to markets. Participants also enjoyed demonstrations of tasty cooking that encourages healthy eating. Another key demonstration was on food waste management, where earthworms decompose food waste, through vermiculture to recycle nutrients.

Various partners are doing great work as seen in the various technologies on display here. Let us enhance the collaboration between the county government and development partners for even greater success.

Pastor Janepher Mbatiany – Deputy Governor, Bungoma County, who was the Chief Guest.  In her speech, the Deputy governor underscored the importance of technology in solving the challenges being faced by farmers because of climate change, and the need to conserve water for more efficient use in line with the theme of the day. 

There were key demonstrations in line with the NICE Project that highlighted various technologies being promoted in a bid to enhance access to nutritious foods that are produced according to agroecological practices. These included Farmers’ Hubs under the NICE project that exhibited the value of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, African leafy vegetables, and flour for better nutrition.

Moreover, there was a showcase of improved local chicken, urban farming technologies highlighting conical gardens, basket and mandala gardens, improved chicken brooder which is made from recycled plastic and does not require health thus eliminating the use of charcoal jikos and conserving the environment. There was also a showcase of azolla farming which makes it possible to provide alternative feeding for chicken therefore reducing external inputs, and black soldier fly farming. 

The World Food Day commemoration reinforces the call to action to ensure a food-secure future for all even as we face increasing challenges related to water scarcity and climate change.