Kenya Field Visit II

A delegation of fourteen  parliamentarians participated in a field visit to Kenya organised on September 10-14, 2006 by the PNoWB and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).  The delegation included parliamentarians from Canada, Colombia, Finland, Iceland, India, Liberia, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania and Uganda, in addition to Tony Worthington, who was previously a member of parliament in the United Kingdom.

PNoWB members were accompanied by seven Kenyan parliamentarians in visits to the research Centers supported by the CGIAR in Kenya and to World-Bank-supported educational and health projects. 

The World Agroforestry Centre and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) organised field trips, where parliamentarians spoke directly to farmers, discussing the benefits and disadvantages of new crop varieties and farming systems.  The Centre presented briefings on climate change, agriculture, regional trade, agricultural subsidies, biotechnology, avian flu, donor harmonization throughout the week, which stirred up debates among parliamentarians.  One outcome was a request from PNoWB members for readily accessible and coherent information, which would enable them to influence national and international policy in favour of agriculture, science and technology. 

While agriculture provided the main focus, MPs had the opportunity to assess the Poverty Reduction Strategy process, in Kenya, in addition to issues such as corruption and trade.