Impact of climate change on food and nutrition security in Kenya

The soaring food prices and new challenges of climate change pose a threat to the already existing food and nutrition insecurity in a number of developing countries, including Kenya. These have culminated in political unrest and food riots in some African countries like Mauritania, Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal and more recently Kenya. Over the years, Kenya has experienced environmental degradation due to urbanization, development and deforestation. This has contributed to climate change and food insecurity in some parts of the country. Currently, over ten million Kenyans suffer from chronic food insecurity and poor nutrition, and between two to four million people require emergency food assistance at any given time. Nearly 30 per cent of children are undernourished and micronutrient deficiencies are widespread. This has been compounded by the post-election violence experienced in the country at the beginning of 2008. Whereas the country has the capacity to mobilize its resources for the production of adequate food and surplus for export, this has remained elusive due to lack of concrete implementation of environment, agriculture and food nutrition policies. This paper reviews some of the current developments in the relationship between climate change, food security and the policy roles.