Workshop on Advancing Bioeconomy Development in Kenya

Background

The Kenya Vision 2030 aims to transform Kenya into, “a newly-industrializing, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens in a clean and secure environment”.

The Vision 2030 fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2023-2027 themed “Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) for Inclusive Growth” seeks to promote targeted investments in five (5) BETA pillars, namely Agriculture; Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Economy; Housing and Settlement; Healthcare; and
Digital Superhighway and Creative Economy, to be implemented through Finance and Production; Infrastructure; Social; Environment and Natural Resources; and Governance and Public Administration sectors.

Kenya has a strong commitment to sustainability, and has developed several policies, laws and programmes to promote a low carbon development pathway by reducing emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), control pollution, conserve biodiversity and improve waste management. These include the Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (2016-2030), the Draft National Green Fiscal Incentives Policy Framework, the Draft Kenya National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2019-2030), the National Climate Change Action Plan (2023-2027), the National Forest Policy, and the National Sustainable Waste Management Policy.

The bioeconomy, adding value and optimizing use of bioresources is increasingly seen as a key enabler to sustainability challenges across various sectors and dimensions of society. Biobased resources, such as agricultural, forestry, marine and aquatic resources form the backbone of economies in eastern Africa, including Kenya. However, the very low degree of bioprocessing and value addition to agricultural, forestry or aquatic primary produce and biowaste makes it difficult for the country to use its bioresources as an engine for economic growth, including achieving the objectives of the Kenya Vision 2030. Encouragingly there is an increasing number of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) and community driven value addition initiatives engaged in bioeconomy development in the region, that are already creating employment and livelihood opportunities hence promoting inclusive economic growth.

Additionally, SMMEs are also often pioneers and promoters of innovations in the bioeconomy which is a knowledge intensive industry. To thrive and develop, SMMEs need access to technology, know-how, capital and markets. The Draft Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy 2020-2030 provides a framework for technological growth to support bioeconomy development in Kenya, thus enabling the integration of MSMEs in the biobased sectors into national, regional and global trade networks.

The workshop will draw upon some of the knowledge and evidence generated on bioeconomy from the research and studies undertaken by SEI and partners covering biobased sectors and agricultural value chains, including staples (cassava), fruits (mangoes, avocado), export commodities (coffee), livestock (fodder, dairy), and fisheries, among others.

Workshop Objectives

1. To discuss the challenges and opportunities for bioeconomy for the private sector in Kenya
2. To review the key factors that influence the participation of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Bioeconomy, including Policy, Regulation and Standards; Finance and Capital; and Markets, Infrastructure and Technologies
3.  To share lessons from Sweden on the development of Bioeconomy pathway and explore opportunities of linkages with the Kenyan private sector

Workshop outputs and outcomes

The key outputs from the workshop will include

1. Synthesis Report of the Workshop proceedings including gaps and opportunities informing bioeconomy value chains and market linkages potentiality in Kenya.
2. Inventory of Kenyan biobased Small, Micro, and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs)

The Outcomes will include.

1. Formation of Kenya Business Bioeconomy Working Group
2.  Knowledge of the Swedish Model for Bioeconomy pathway development (methodology by Fossilfritt Sverige)

Participation

The participants at the workshop will include private sector entrepreneurs and businesses working the bio-based sectors, policy makers in Government, researchers and innovators, finance institutions and representatives from international organizations.

Organizers

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Africa Center
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA)