NAIROBI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will host a forum next week on innovative strategies to achieve the country's development blue print on food security, organizers said on Friday.
The forum, hosted by the ministry of agriculture in conjunction with the country's investors lobby, will be attended by participants from seven African countries.
The organizers said policymakers, industry executives, representatives of multilateral lenders will attend the Nov. 19-20 forum to explore new ways to revitalize the food and nutrition security agenda in the east Africa's largest economy.
"The conference themed stimulating agricultural productivity in order to boost food and nutrition security will broadly discuss Big Four's food security agenda and investment prospects, and what needs to be done to boost economic growth," organizers said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has identified food security as part of his Big Four agenda aimed at transforming the country before the expiry of his second and final term in office in 2022.
Kenyatta has appealed to local and foreign investors to support the food security agenda by channeling capital to high impact interventions like irrigated farming and agro-processing.
"Delegates will share their experiences, present research results, explore collaborations and spark new ideas with the aim of developing new projects and exploiting new technology for food security," said the organizers.
According to the agriculture ministry, business leaders, state officials, economists and academicians will deliver keynote speeches and engage in panel discussions as they explore models that can be adopted to help the country overcome endemic hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
"The conference will therefore examine what needs to be done to build a more dynamic economy in which agriculture drives the manufacturing agenda which in turn can ensure enough and affordable food," said the organizers.