This project will spur ecologically sustainable and socially equitable development in five ecoregions shared by Kenya and East African neighbors. The project will benefit small producers (smallholder farmers, pastoralists and artisanal fishers) by providing opportunities to earn income in their home areas. It will benefit the environment by harnessing production practices based on traditional, ecological knowledge to regional and global markets, providing a financial motivation for conservation.
Kenya's economy is retarded by non-inclusive growth, resulting in low poverty reduction and employment creation capacity. GDP growth between 2019 and 2023 averaged 4.6%; less than half of the 10% target. Regionally, unemployed youth migrate from rural areas to cities to look for work. Cities are overcrowded and fields left unattended while governments auction off natural resources to plug budget deficits. A sliding spiral leaves land and waters barren, further fueling regional unemployment.
Investments in value chains rooted in cross-border ecoregions will stimulate regional trade, keep young people in their native homelands, and motivate natural resources conservation. Through cultivation of indigenous livelihood options that are compatible with native ecosystems, the regional ability to adapt to climate change will also be significantly boosted. The scoping phase of the project will facilitate preparation of a detailed proposal covering all five pilots.
Our model will supplant ad-hoc development that mortgages the region's future to short-term investors focused on quarterly profits. Instead, people across a variety of landscapes will invest for the long term, developing a regional economy that improves lives for the majority of East Africans who eke out a living from natural resources. Families who remain in and profit from their native ecoregions will re-invest in the restoration and sustainable maintenance of the ecosystems that support them.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
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