- Laikipia launches a new plan to promote safer and more sustainable farming.
- Farmers call for adequate funding to turn the county’s agro-ecology policy into action.
- The county targets reduced reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides across its 15 wards.
Laikipia County has launched a five year agro-ecology policy to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals in farming, with Governor Joshua Irungu unveiling it in Nanyuki. The policy is meant to safeguard human health, livestock and the environment.
Worry over food safety sits at the centre of the decision. Pesticide residues have been found in staples such as tomatoes, kales and spinach, and some farmers have been accused of spraying crops just before sending them to market, despite safety guidelines that say otherwise.
Irungu tied the policy to the growing toll of lifestyle diseases, among them cancer and kidney failure, which he blamed partly on what people eat and how it is grown. Farmers, he said, should stay away from fertilisers and sprays that damage the body.
Under the policy, the county will issue guidance on good farming practices, including how chemicals are used on crops and given to livestock. Irungu argued that cleaner production could eventually give Laikipia farmers access to European markets. He added that systems which limit or cut out synthetic inputs would raise the quality and safety of produce while protecting natural resources.
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To make the policy work on the ground, the county will set aside funds for agro-ecology programmes. Chemical free demonstration plots will be set up in all 15 wards, giving farmers a place to learn safer methods and reduce their dependence on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
Laikipia now sits alongside Makueni, Murang’a and Nakuru, the other counties that have adopted the approach. All four have domesticated the National Agro-ecology Strategy for Food System Restoration, which was launched in 2024 to promote sustainable food production and strengthen food security as the climate shifts.
Local farmers have welcomed the move. Some of them have already taken legal action over the continued sale of harmful pesticides. They are now calling on the county government to provide enough money to achieve the policy’s goals within its five year lifespan.
By Benedict Aoya
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