Kenya

Country Context

Kenya’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and livestock, yet the sector faces persistent challenges. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many communities have continued to experience food insecurity driven by climate shocks, rising food prices, economic pressures and localized conflict. In 2024, food security assessments found that about 1 million people experienced acute food insecurity during the year, with needs rising to nearly 2 million during peak dry periods. Malnutrition also remains a serious concern in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions, particularly among children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Agriculture contributes about 22 percent to Kenya’s gross domestic product and supports the livelihoods of more than 70 percent of the rural population. However, low productivity, limited access to finance, inadequate infrastructure and market barriers make it difficult for many smallholder farmers to grow their businesses and increase their incomes. Limited economic opportunities, particularly for young people, also contribute to unemployment and poverty in many rural communities. Livestock diseases and other production shocks can further reduce earnings and increase vulnerability for farming families. Climate change adds to these pressures, as increasingly erratic rainfall, droughts and floods disrupt traditional farming cycles and threaten rural livelihoods across the country.

Our Response

Heifer Kenya supports smallholder farmers by providing livestock, seeds, tools and market access. Key strategies include strengthening agricultural cooperatives and supporting farmer-owned businesses so farmers can share resources and ideas to improve collective bargaining power, reduce costs and improve their enterprises.

Partnering with governments and the private sector secures essential resources and services for farmers to invest in their operations. Our approach focuses on engaging youth, promoting digital agriculture and working with communities to foster shared goals and values. Farmers receive training in modern techniques and gain access to financial services that help them build strong market systems for long-term success.

Our primary objective is helping families achieve a sustainable living income, our measure for the amount of money required for a decent life — including safe shelter, nutritious food, clothing, education and health care — while also reaching additional benchmarks for economic and climate resilience.

The Kenya Signature Program

Heifer International’s work is organized at the country level into signature programs focused on large-scale, measurable and sustainable impact achieved by building partnerships at all levels. Each program supports farmers through time-bound projects designed to increase their household income.

Kenya Practice for Change

Heifer Kenya’s signature program, Practice for Change (P4C), aims to help 625,000 households achieve a sustainable living income by 2030 through the transformation of agricultural value chains, including dairy, horticulture, poultry and red meat. The program works with farmers, agribusinesses and partners across the value chain to improve productivity, strengthen market access and expand economic opportunities for rural communities, with a focus on women and youth.