Kenya Holds Workshop to Expand Markets for Organic Produce

What changed

Kenya is holding its 4th National Participatory Guarantee Systems Workshop in Nairobi, bringing together more than 50 participants from 35 approved Kilimohai PGS groups, civil society organisations, organic traders and retailers. Hosted by the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network, the two-day meeting is focused on using community-based certification to expand markets for organic produce.

Why it matters

Participatory Guarantee Systems give farmers, consumers and other local stakeholders a shared way to verify that produce meets organic and agroecological standards. That matters especially for smallholders selling locally, because conventional certification can be too expensive.

Kenya already has more than 4,000 farmers involved in PGS groups. Those networks are helping organic products reach small towns and local markets, while the wider sector grows: land under organic management reached 176,200 hectares in 2024, and annual turnover stood at KSh545.7 million.

The workshop’s practical test will be whether collaboration among farmers, civil society groups and market actors turns that network into stronger consumer trust and wider sales. Its eventual commitments, funding decisions and measurable market results are not yet known.