by Amsha InstituteEast Africa Experts issue Policy Blueprint to Scale Dryland Agroforestry
NEWS STORY
East Africa Experts issue Policy Blueprint to Scale Dryland Agroforestry
The East African Dryland Agroforestry Expert Group launched its first policy brief at a well-attended webinar on 3 July 2025, where leading experts shared critical insights and experiences.
The document, titled “Scaling Agroforestry as a Climate Resilience and Food Security Solution in Drylands of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania,” serves as a strategic advocacy tool developed by Vi Agroforestry and the SIANI expert group.
Agroforestry—the deliberate integration of trees into agricultural landscapes—is highlighted as a powerful nature-based solution for dryland areas. The webinar featured a strong call to action for Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to integrate agroforestry into their national agendas and foster regional collaboration.
This message received high-level endorsement from Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno.
“Kenya welcomes Vi Agroforestry’s proposal for a regional agroforestry coordination platform. Such a mechanism could help harmonise national strategies, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support joint research on dryland agroforestry models,” he stated.
Dr. Ng’eno emphasised the critical importance of drylands, which constitute more than 80 percent of Kenya’s territory and are vital to the nation’s food production, biodiversity conservation, and livestock-based economies. He noted the launch was exceptionally timely as East Africa faces compounded pressures of land degradation, food insecurity, and climate extremes—evidenced by five consecutive failed rainy seasons in Kenya between 2020 and 2023, which left over 4.5 million people severely food-insecure.
The Expert Group’s Mandate
The East African Dryland Agroforestry Expert Group is a structured coalition initiated by Vi Agroforestry following the 2024 Annual Agroforestry Symposium. Its mandate is to bridge policy and practice by engaging in direct dialogues with national and local policymakers to facilitate the widespread adoption of agroforestry in dryland areas. The group consists of 14 multidisciplinary experts from civil society, government, academia, practitioner organisations, and youth advocates.
AMSHA Institute Executive Director Omary Mwaimu contributed to the policy brief as both a member of the expert group and one of its authors.
From Policy to Practice: A Clear Call to Action
The policy brief offers a five-pillar roadmap focusing on strengthening policy frameworks, increasing funding, capacity building, securing land tenure, and fostering inclusive partnerships.
A critical pillar is the need for innovative financing mechanisms. The brief calls for dedicated agroforestry investment windows within national climate funds and agricultural budgets.
The expert group proposes leveraging regional financing models from the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). Establishing a dedicated East African Agroforestry Platform is recommended to align cross-border investments and direct funding to dryland communities with a focus on gender equity.
Dr. Monica Nderitu, the expert group lead, underscored the necessity of this multi-stakeholder approach.
“Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda must embed agroforestry into a wide range of policies. It is also vital that youth, women, and the private sector are part of the conversations.”
She also highlighted plans to convene a high-level stakeholder dialogue later this year to maintain momentum.
Inclusive Voices for an Inclusive Solution
The need for inclusivity was echoed by several experts. Dr. Lilian Lihasi, Executive Director of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), challenged participants to transform drylands into engines of resilience and prosperity.
Elizabeth Githendu, a youth advocate and researcher at the University of Nairobi, emphasised making agroforestry attractive to youth through hybrid income pathways like digital storytelling.
Dr. Joan Nyika, a lecturer at the Technical University of Kenya, highlighted barriers women face and called for a gendered agroforestry system that ensures their participation, citing land ownership as a key issue.
The new policy brief builds on four decades of on-the-ground experience, serving as a strategic advocacy tool grounded in evidence and shaped by local realities. For over 40 years, Vi Agroforestry has worked with smallholder farmers and communities across East Africa, witnessing firsthand the transformative power of these practices.
“We have seen the power of agroforestry not as an abstract concept but as a living solution. It restores degraded landscapes, secures livelihoods, empowers men and women and youth, and builds resilience in the face of a changing climate,” said Leif Newman, Vi Agroforestry’s Regional Director for East Africa.
Both Leif Newman and SIANI’s Programme Director Madeleine Fogde expressed strong appreciation for the expert group’s work, particularly its success in bringing together different sectors and countries to build a unified, evidence-based case for making agroforestry a national and regional policy priority.
The launch, attended by nearly 100 policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, served as a critical step toward catalysing the cross-sectoral collaboration needed for these scalable solutions.
Download the full policy brief here: POLICY BRIEF 2025 DryLands East Africa Agroforestry by SIANI & Vi Agroforestry
For more information on the Expert Group’s work, visit: SIANI Expert Group Page | Vi Agroforestry Project Page
— Article by the Vi Agroforestry Communications Team