Kenya’s agriculture sector is under increasing pressure from climate variability, shifting global supply chains and declining productivity.

Over-reliance on distant markets has exposed farmers and food systems to vulnerability, underscoring the urgent need to build resilience within the country.

Strengthening domestic agricultural systems, adopting climate-smart seeds, and investing in irrigation infrastructure can reduce dependence on rain-fed production and provide more stable yields.

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Empowering smallholder farmers in the country with the right tools is no longer optional; it is essential.

This means scaling access to biotechnology, investing in extension services, and enabling farmers to adopt modern, efficient, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Smallholder farmers remain the backbone of our food systems. Yet, many continue to operate under constraints that limit their productivity—erratic weather patterns, declining soil fertility, pests, and limited access to quality inputs and timely information.

The result is a widening gap between potential and actual yields, one that threatens not only household incomes but national food security.

Bridging this gap requires a deliberate shift from subsistence to science-driven agriculture. Biotechnology, when responsibly applied, offers practical solutions—from drought-tolerant crops to pest-resistant varieties that reduce losses and dependence on costly inputs.

But technology alone is not enough. Farmers across the country must be supported with knowledge, access and trust in this journey.

Conversation must also move beyond productivity to resilience. Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is a daily reality for farmers.

Investing in climate-smart agriculture—supported by biotechnology and data-driven approaches—can help farmers adapt, recover, and thrive despite these challenges.

Ultimately, empowering smallholder farmers is not just an agricultural issue; it is an economic and social imperative. When farmers succeed, communities prosper, food systems stabilise and nations grow stronger. The tools exist. The knowledge is available. What remains is the collective will to act—decisively, inclusively and at scale as a country.

John Kanyingi is managing director, Bayer East Africa