Kenya

Leveraging hub models and cooperatives for success

We work in partnership with producer groups, financial institutions, county governments, processors, and input and service providers across the dairy, poultry and beef value chains.

Detailed map highlighting the geographic locations of past and active projects in Kenya.

Location: Kenya
Products: Dairy, Poultry, Beef, Goats, Crops
Active Since: 1981

Background:

Heifer International’s presence in Kenya dates back to 1981 when we started working with a women’s dairy group in the western part of the country.

Our work has since evolved to cover the dairy, poultry and beef value chains, carried out in partnership with producer groups, financial institutions, county governments, processors, and input and service providers.

New government policies, the growth of agribusinesses and increased consumer demand for meat and dairy products have transformed agriculture, creating new markets for local farmers. Their challenge is to make their enterprises profitable and sustainable.

In the dairy sector alone, weather has big impacts on production. Yields can drop by 50% during the dry season.

More than 682,000 families supported by our work.

Significant progress has been made through our work with farmers to increase production and productivity by strengthening extension services and farmers cooperatives. The cooperatives aggregate products including milk, negotiating better prices with dairy processors. But there’s still work to be done to close the living income gap.

Our hub model developed in our East Africa Dairy Development project (EADD) connects farmers to a one-stop-shop where they can not only sell their milk, but also access services including financing, veterinary care, and purchase feed and medicine. The hubs also play an important role in providing quality assurance and transportation that farmers need to deliver on bigger contracts, and play a vital role in connecting farmers to the formal economy.

We leverage our strong ties with local communities and build on the success of the hub model into the goat, beef, poultry and crops value chains. We work to make women equal partners, include young people, and adopt environmentally-friendly production practices.

Women-led community self-help groups receive and facilitate training in new farming practices. They learn business development skills, and many have started cultivating vegetables and producing other milk-based products to diversify their incomes and diets.

Farmers in Kenya are also part of Hatching Hope – an initiative founded by Heifer International and Cargill Inc. to improve the livelihoods and nutrition of 100 million people by 2030, through the production and consumption of chicken meat and eggs.

Living Income

Heifer works with farmers to secure a living income so they can lead dignified and prosperous lives. Learn more about what achieving a living income entails.

Featured Projects

The Kenya Livestock Marketing and Resilience Project (KLMP)

The Kenya Livestock Marketing and Resilience Project (KLMP), led by Heifer International and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), aims to improve the resilience and livelihoods of 38,000 poultry and beef-producing households across Kenya from 2023 to 2027. Focused on transforming value chains and strengthening farmer-owned agribusinesses, the project leverages digital technology, blended financing and strategic partnerships to promote sustainable development in the livestock sector. KLMP's ultimate vision is to lift farmers, particularly youth and women, from poverty to sustainable living incomes while stimulating economic growth and climate resilience in key agricultural communities.