Two farmers’ body have entered into regional partnership to improve access to quality farm inputs, financing and markets for over 25 million smallholder farmers in Eastern Africa.
One Acre Fund and the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening the resilience and incomes of smallholder farmers through joint advocacy, policy reforms and expanded farmer support programmes across the region.
Speaking during the signing, One Acre Fund Chief Executive Officer Eric Pohlman said the partnership aims to help farmers transition from subsistence to more commercialised agriculture.
“This partnership brings together field experience and regional advocacy to improve fertiliser access and market systems, enabling farmers to increase productivity and incomes,” he said.
Pohlman added that through this collaboration, One Acre Fund and EAFF will focus on four key priorities including advancing policy reforms that improve access to high-quality and affordable agricultural inputs, and strengthening regional trade and market linkages for priority value chains such as avocado and macadamia.
In addition to expanding farmer access to financing, training, and climate-smart technologies and mobilising resources to support farmers in managing economic and climate-related risks.
EAFF Chief Executive Officer Stephen Muchiri noted that the collaboration will also strengthen farmers’ voices in policy processes across the region.
“By working together, we can mobilise resources for farmer-led initiatives and ensure smallholder farmers remain central to Africa’s food systems transformation,” he said.
The partnership comes at a time when agriculture remains the backbone of Eastern Africa’s economies but continues to face structural challenges.
According to the World Bank, agriculture contributes about 23 per cent of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa and employs more than 60 per cent of the population, yet productivity levels remain among the lowest globally.
In Kenya, smallholder farmers account for roughly 75 per cent of total agricultural output, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, but many struggle with limited access to quality inputs, financing and reliable markets.
Muchiri noted that across Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 62 per cent of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, making the sector central to economic growth and food security.
“By working together with One Acre Fund, we are strengthening our collective capacity to advocate for policies that matter to farmers, mobilise resources for farmer-led initiatives, and ensure that smallholder farmers remain at the center of Africa’s food systems transformation,” he said.
He added: "Our collaboration will enable us to expand access to knowledge, markets and innovations for farmers while amplifying their voices in regional and continental policy processes. This is a significant step toward building resilient farming communities and sustainable livelihoods across Eastern Africa."
The agreement also seeks to expand farmer access to credit, climate-smart technologies and extension servicescritical interventions as climate variability continues to disrupt production.
Data from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development shows that recurrent droughts in the Horn of Africa have significantly reduced crop and livestock productivity over the past decade, exposing millions of farmers to food insecurity
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