UPSCALE partner icipe hosted a very successful visit by 6 EU Ambassadors on the 12th March 2024. Concurrently, icipe staff members have engaged the Homabay county government more deeply and have started with the training of 54 agricultural extension officers.
The European Union-Kenya Partnership, as part of the Global Gateway initiative, is committed to aiding Kenya’s transition towards a more environmentally sustainable future. From the 11th to the 12th of March, Her Excellency Ms. Henriette Geiger, the EU Ambassador in Kenya, together with H.E. Dr. Christian Fellner from Austria, H.E. Mr. Sebastian Groth from Germany , H.E. Mr. Arnaud Suquet from France , H.E. Ms. Caroline Vicini from Sweden and H.E. Mr. Mirosław Gojdź from Poland , visited Homa Bay and Migori County, hosted by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).
Along with the EU Ambassadors, Ms. Irene Giribaldi, Head of Cooperation, Mr. Thomas Von Handel, Head of Political, Press and Information and Mr. Stephan FOX, Attaché, Infrastructure section, EU Delegation to the Republic of Kenya, also visited the icipe Thomas Odhiambo Campus at Mbita, Kenya.
The visit commenced with a detailed briefing session on the theme “Contributions of EU in Development and Implementation of Climate-Smart Push-Pull in Africa”, where the delegates were informed about Good Agricultural Practices, Climate Resilience, Knowledge Sharing and Learning in agriculture. Throughout the visit, the EU delegation had fruitful discussions with the leading researchers and experts from icipe, regarding topics such as agricultural innovation, soil degradation and biodiversity conservation.
As the main outcome of the visit, a stronger relationship was established with the Homabay government and icipe have started with the training for 54 new agricultural extension officers on the 19th of March who will support the implementation of Push-Pull technology in Kenya.
The host arranged demonstrations on Push-Pull and other related technologies, where the EU representatives could better understand the concept of the “Push” and “Pull” plants. Also, during the field visit, participants could explore the Push-Pull Garden and animal unit on their own. Moreover, the visit provided opportunities for Insects for feed and frass fertilizer innovations demonstrations, which are currently being done along with Vegetable Integrated Push-Pull Technology at icipe.
Finally, the ambassadors agreed that this event helped in information exchange about targeted cooperation in the blue economy, food security and energy sector in the region. The overall goal is to increase direct investments, boost trade in goods and create economic opportunities to improve Kenya’s economic development. Also, this was an excellent opportunity for strengthening the public-private partnerships.
