Science Week begins with calls for food and nutritional security

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has urged Kenyans at large to proactively embrace science and technology to boost food production.

Mudavadi said this will play a key role in tackling agricultural diseases and countering the impacts of climate change, which continues to cause significant losses.

Speaking at the official opening of the Science Week on Monday, Mudavadi said agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy, providing over 60 per cent of employment in Kenya, yet the sector faces a perfect storm of challenges in climate change, loss of biodiversity, and rapid population growth.

CGIAR Science Week, co-hosted by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), brings together leading voices in agricultural science to explore how partnerships can be forged in more effective ways to harness and scale pioneering science and innovation that can deliver food and nutritional security and strengthened livelihoods for all.

Mudavadi said the only way forward lies in science-driven solutions generated through robust partnerships among stakeholders.

“Kenya is fully committed to supporting agricultural research and innovation. Our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda prioritizes the agri-food system as a key pillar of economic transformation,” he said, adding, “We believe that transforming this sector will drive poverty reduction and job creation, improved livelihoods and food security, gender equality and inclusion, and climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability.”

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  Science week ends calls for strong partnerships to transform food systems

His sentiments were emphasized by Agriculture PS Jonathan Mueke, who said the partnership between CGIAR and national institutions, particularly KALRO continues to bear fruit in research, capacity building, and the dissemination of innovations that uplift our farmers and communities.

Held at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) complex, over 8,000 delegates have gathered for a week of events, workshops, exhibitions, and field trips.

Throughout Science Week, the role of partnerships will be strongly emphasized, recognizing the vital importance of collaboration to tackle today’s complex agricultural challenges in an increasingly challenging funding landscape.

Science Week builds on CGIAR's 50-year legacy of driving impact through partnerships that develop and scale innovations to tackle the most pressing agricultural challenges facing our planet's food, land, and water systems. 

The conference also serves as a platform for stakeholders to investigate new investment pathways that accelerate agricultural research in the face of mounting global agricultural challenges.

Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR said the week marks a pivotal moment in their shared journey towards transforming global agriculture and food systems.

“CGIAR is unwavering in our commitment to advancing groundbreaking agricultural science that is sustainable, inclusive, and rooted in the belief that research, innovation, and collaboration are the keys to overcoming the complex challenges facing agri-food systems today,” said Elouafi.

The science week further underscores CGIAR and its partners’ steadfast commitment to international agricultural research and the critical need for sustained global investment in innovation, technology, and science.

At a special panel titled Council of the Wise, the Opening Ceremony proved a unique opportunity for global leaders and science experts to share knowledge and insights alongside farmer community members who offered inside knowledge from the frontline of agricultural challenges.

“Women feed Africa as they make up a high proportion of smallholder farmers. Yet where are the technology and tools that empower women and girls? When looking at the science to address challenges facing Africa, it is essential to do this through the gender lens to ensure innovations are equitable and inclusive,” said Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Former Prime Minister of Mauritius.

Delegates will pay a special focus on Africa as a living lab whose diverse ecosystems, mounting agricultural pressures, diminishing natural resources, and fast-expanding populations highlight its relevance to the advancement of global science.

“Science Week is about drawing on deep wells of experience. Delegates have led science institutions and navigated farming through complex and changing challenges. Their insights are invaluable as we work to transform agri-food systems towards resilience,” said Lindiwe Sibanda, Chair of the CGIAR Integrated Partnership Board.

Given the enormity of the challenge, Science Week is a platform to enhance regional and global partnerships with the aim of scaling innovations and solutions, reinforcing practices that work.