The Kenya National Trialogue has reiterated commitment towards attaining land degradation Neutrality(LDN) targets and pollinator conservation for food security.
Trialogue- a multi-stakeholder engagement applied by the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network(BES-Net), is targeted at strengthened Science-Policy-Practice interface.
BES-Net aims to translate the new knowledge from the multi-stakeholder groups including indigenous peoples such as the Ogiek into actions on Biodiversity conservation.
The BES Solution Fund are a catalytic resources to selected countries that participated in the Anglophone Regional Trialogue in 2019.
The funding support to Kenya was for the implementation of few activities from the Kenyan Action Plan at the 2019 Anglophone Regional Trialogue.
The activities touched on land degradation Neutrality(LDN), Pollinators Conservation and Food Security.
During a stakeholders’ Nakuru County Trialogue Meeting held in Nakuru City on Wednesday September 11, 2024, it was revealed that the activities have been undertaken in Eburu Forest and Chalbi Desert Landscapes in Nakuru and Marsabit counties respectively.
The activities, according to partners have been undertaken through the Kenya National Trialogue(KNT)- a network of like-minded individuals, organizations, and groups around biodiversity ecosystem services(BES) and LDN.
During the meeting held in Nakuru, it emerged that indigenous peoples have great role in the Pollinator conservation for food security.
For instance,the Ogiek Community whose ancestral land is in the forest where they practice farming as well as conservation, key focus on bee keeping.
John Samorai from the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program-OPDP lauded pollinator conservation as a key aspect towards food security.
Speaking during the meeting, Samorai highlighted Ogiek Cultural practices of bee keeping and honey harvesting as some of the indigenous knowledge that should be tapped into.
He added that the cultural way of harvesting honey by the community ensures that the bees who are great pollinators are not interfered with.
“Honey harvesting involving fire making, preparation of the bee smoker, lowering of the hive and extracting of honey in the morning or late in the evening when the bees are calm averts disruption,” he stated.
This, even as bee products have been seen to be numerous from the Eburu Forest landscape ranging from food, preservative, beverage, medicinal value, barter trade, as well as culturally used in Ogiek traditional wedding ceremonies.
During the meeting, it emerged that in attaining land degradation Neutrality, the locals can embrace hedgerows-an approach on biodiversity conservation in farms.
Hedgerows being lauded for the importance such as supporting pest control, providing windbreaks, storing carbon and reducing impact of climate change, provide soil stability, reducing soil erosion and regulating surface runoff besides being forage and habitat for pollinators.
Other local practices towards enhancing land and soil Management that communities around Eburu Forest are now engaging in include; Agro-forestry, cover crops,trash lines, and fallow system, mixed/integrated farm practices.
Sentiments echoed by Washington Ayiemba from United Nations Development Program(UNDP).
Meanwhile in her remarks during the Nakuru County Trialogue meeting, Ms Mary Nyasimi(UNESCO Rep) reiterated that partnership was key in inclusion of indigenous peoples and local communities in matters research in advancing science and cultural heritage.
“We need to link science with the local communities, indigenous peoples towards sustainability,” she stated.
She revealed that a booklet shall be launched before end of this year through a partnership with Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program-OPDP and Kenya National Museums.
According to the officer, biosphere reserves are key in indigenous, local knowledge enhancement.
Nakuru County CECM for Agriculture Leonard Bor who also graced the event challenged the stakeholders to start thinking about smart agriculture that does not cause harm to the soil.
He was quick to note that with the challenges of climate change, there is need for concerted effort in ensuring sustainable clean agriculture.
“With the challenges in our county and country, then time is now that we work together with indigenous peoples a d local communities in finding solutions to towards sustainable agriculture,” he said.
The Nakuru County Trialogue was also attended by representatives from NEMA, KEFRI, Ministry of Livestock, Slow Food Kenya, Seed Savers Network, practitioners in agriculture, wildlife and forest conservation and farmers at commercial and subsistence levels, Civil Society, private sector actors and development partners.
