Kenya Unveils 10-Year Bioeconomy Plan to Turn Farm Waste Into Jobs and Industries

Kenya has launched a 10-year strategy to turn agricultural waste and other biological resources into new products, businesses and jobs as the government seeks to reduce food imports and strengthen local value addition.

The National Bioeconomy Strategy 2026–2036 aims to use science, research and emerging technologies to improve productivity across agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, energy and biotechnology.

State Department for Science, Research and Innovation Principal Secretary Prof Shaukat Abdulrazak said the government wants to use technologies such as biofertilisers, bioengineering, bioinformatics, biogenomics and artificial intelligence to improve the use of nutrients and water.

He said the approach would also help reduce post-harvest losses and increase food production.

“The expectation is basically to move from importation of food to be able to produce ourselves and be able to add value,” Abdulrazak said during the strategy’s launch in Nairobi.

The strategy was launched by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and developed with support from research institutions, government agencies, development partners and the private sector.

Mudavadi said Kenya must move beyond exporting biological resources in raw form and instead use science and innovation to develop competitive products and industries.

“Our mission must be to increase domestic value addition, develop competitive bio-based products and industries, commercialize innovations, and support enterprises,” he said.

Kenya’s agricultural sector is expected to be a major source of raw materials for the emerging bioeconomy. Crop residues, livestock waste and other biomass that often have limited economic value could be processed into products ranging from biofertilisers and biochemicals to packaging materials and other manufactured goods.

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Director General Dr Abdou Tenkouano said agriculture generates substantial quantities of biomass across Africa, creating an opportunity to build industries around materials that are often discarded.

He said the bioeconomy could support new businesses in food systems, sustainable construction, biobased chemicals, biopharmaceuticals and biopackaging.

One example highlighted during the launch was research into the use of banana fibre and leaves to manufacture sanitary towels. Stockholm Environment Institute Director Niall O’Connor said such innovations could provide more affordable locally produced goods while creating commercial opportunities around agricultural waste.

The strategy is also expected to improve returns for farmers by creating additional markets for agricultural materials. Instead of selling raw produce or disposing of crop residues, farmers could potentially benefit from value chains that process biological resources into higher-value products.

However, participants noted that financing could determine how quickly innovations move from research laboratories to commercial enterprises.

O’Connor called for financial institutions to develop approaches that can reduce investment risks for smallholder farmers and emerging bioeconomy businesses. He said successful commercial examples could help attract more private capital into the sector.

Mudavadi said the government intends to progressively raise investment in research and development towards two per cent of gross domestic product. Public investment, he said, should help attract private financing and strategic partnerships.

The government is also targeting youth employment through the bioeconomy, with Abdulrazak saying research institutions, universities and industry need to work more closely to turn scientific ideas into commercial ventures.

He said the government was targeting a Sh100 billion bioeconomy programme and was working towards a wider institutional framework to support research, innovation and commercialisation.

The Bio Kenya project, supported by the European Union, is also being developed towards a centre of excellence, with longer-term plans for a bioeconomy institute and university linked to research institutions.

Kenya is joining a broader African effort to develop bioeconomy industries. Tenkouano said the East African Community adopted a regional bioeconomy strategy in 2022, focusing on areas including food security, health, bioenergy and sustainable industries.

He said Kenya is now among a small group of African countries with dedicated national bioeconomy strategies.

For the government, the success of the new strategy will ultimately depend on whether research can generate commercially viable businesses, strengthen local value chains and create jobs. Mudavadi said these economic outcomes would provide the clearest measure of whether Kenya’s investment in the bioeconomy is delivering tangible benefits to citizens.