looming food crisis

Kenya-US trade talks might stall as local farmers wary

By Herald Onyango

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Posted on April 17, 2023 12:11

© A paddy harvester cuts rice following effects of the worsening drought due to failed rain seasons in Mwea, Kenya, November 30, 2022. REUTERS — A paddy harvester cuts rice following effects of the worsening drought due to failed rain seasons in Mwea, Kenya, November 30, 2022. REUTERS

Kenya’s negotiations with the US on the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) are facing setbacks following calls by a host of small-scale farmers to remove the agriculture clause embedded in the deal.

The Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum (KESSFF) is disgruntled with the inclusion of agriculture in the discussions, arguing that it would pave the way for mass food and agricultural imports, something that can eventually crowd them out.

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