Wageningen UR will assists three agro sectors in Kenya in the transition from aid to trade in the Dutch development policy. Monday 14 December, Wageningen UR president Louise Fresco visited a round table meeting in Nairobi on the innovation issue in one of these sectors, the horticulture sector.
The project ‘3R Kenya’ is developed by Wageningen UR together with Kenyan partners. “We aim to find ways to scale up running, small scale projects in the horticulture, aquaculture and dairy sector that are financed by the Netherlands,” explains Irene Koomen, who is connected to the Wageningen broad project on behalf of the Centre for Development Innovation. The projects focus on small and medium scale producers. In the 3R Kenya project, Wageningen UR brings in expertise on sector analysis, innovation, multistakeholder processes, efficient and integrated chains and the circular economy.
Resilient, Robust, Reliable
The three agro sectors should become more Resilient, Robust and Reliable with regard to innovation, chains and governance, in order to be able to intensify the trade relations with Dutch businesses. Currently, the middle class and farmers profit little from innovation in Kenya. Koomen: “We aim to show what elements or links in the chain are missing. Solving these bottlenecks will enable the projects to change from aid to trade.”