Case Study on Climate Compatible Development (CCD) in Agriculture for Food Security in Kenya

This case study examines the application of the Climate Compatible Development (CCD) approach to agriculture and food security in Kenya. It analyzes the synergies between adaptation and mitigation within the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) and its Action Plan (NCCAP), identifying institutional barriers and financing gaps that hinder the integration of food security goals into climate action.

• Agriculture is a critical pillar of the Kenyan economy, contributing approximately 26% to the GDP directly and 25% indirectly, while accounting for 65% of total exports and supporting the livelihoods of 80% of the population.
• Kenya is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its reliance on rain-fed agriculture and the fact that 80% of its land is classified as arid and semi-arid land (ASAL). Observed impacts include rising temperatures (0.7 – 2.0 °C since the 1960s), increased rainfall variability, and severe droughts, such as the 2009 drought which put approximately 10 million people at risk of hunger and malnutrition.
• The National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) and its Action Plan (NCCAP) provide the primary framework for climate action in Kenya. The Action Plan consists of nine sub-components, including a Low Carbon Development Pathway, Enabling Policy and Regulatory Framework, and a Finance component (SC 8) aimed at creating a national climate fund.
• There is a significant gap in the understanding and implementation of synergies between climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly regarding food security. Policy actors often struggle to distinguish between the two, leading to insufficient resource allocation for food security elements within the NCCRS Action Plan.
• Institutional coordination for food security is managed through the Agricultural Sector Coordination Unit (ASCU), which brings together 10 government ministries. However, a 'silo working style' persists across ministries, with mitigation knowledge concentrated in the Ministry of Energy and adaptation know-how in the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Kenya has attracted substantial international climate finance, with development agencies investing $2.3 billion in mitigation and adaptation, split roughly equally between the two. However, this funding is fragmented across 15 different agencies, and domestic public finance for climate-relevant projects (Ksh 37 billion) is heavily skewed toward the energy sector (45%), with agriculture receiving almost nothing.
• The Kenyan government sought to establish an independent Climate Change Authority (CCA) to act as a 'gatekeeper' organization for climate funds and provide national guidance on legislation. The Climate Change Authority Bill had its first reading in Parliament on October 2, 2012.
• Key barriers to scaling up Climate Compatible Development (CCD) include a lack of specialized technical expertise, poor communication with small-scale farmers, and the absence of a systematized funding tool to finance integrated projects that specifically target food insecurity.

APA

Bernard, D. M., Adwera, O. A., Kungu, K. J., & Charles, T. (2012). Case Study on Climate Compatible Development (CCD) in Agriculture for Food Security in Kenya. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CCD-for-Agriculture_Case-Study_Kenya-final.pdf

Chicago

Bernard, Dr. Muok, Ochieng Andrew Adwera, Kariuki Joan Kungu, and Tonui Charles. Case Study on Climate Compatible Development (CCD) in Agriculture for Food Security in Kenya. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CCD-for-Agriculture_Case-Study_Kenya-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bernard |first1=Dr. Muok |last2=Adwera |first2=Ochieng Andrew |last3=Kungu |first3=Kariuki Joan |last4=Charles |first4=Tonui |title=Case Study on Climate Compatible Development (CCD) in Agriculture for Food Security in Kenya |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CCD-for-Agriculture_Case-Study_Kenya-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bernard2012case, author = {Bernard, Dr. Muok and Adwera, Ochieng Andrew and Kungu, Kariuki Joan and Charles, Tonui}, title = {{Case Study on Climate Compatible Development (CCD) in Agriculture for Food Security in Kenya}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CCD-for-Agriculture_Case-Study_Kenya-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }