Launched in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, over one hundred and fifty farmers, county and ward officials, service providers and other private sector stakeholders from seven wards participated in this land mark event in the drive for the promotion of Conservation agriculture as a Climate Smart agricultural strategy. With the County government of Laikipia committing 1.6 million Kenya shillings of its budget to Conservation agriculture. Mr Arthur Maathai Representative of the County Chief Officer, Agriculture reiterated the County’s commitment to the promotion of the Conservation Agriculture practice.

The farmers expressed a unanimous commitment and declared that the newly established CA farmers COP was committed to establishing a model Conservation Agriculture Community of Practice in Kenya by practically demonstrating this through promoting a wider adoption of the practice. This was demonstrated by the COP launching a fundraising drive at the meeting that realized a reasonable amount of funds to kick start the activities of the Community of Practice.

Testimonies by the different farmers who demonstrated how they have been able to see changes in yield production, control of weed and reduction in the Labour requirements that they now put into their farming activities were some of the high points in further cementing the commitment to move CA in Laikipia County to another level.

The farmers challenged the County Executive and ACT to give full support to their commitment of transforming Laikipia into the first Conservation Agriculture village in Kenya by increasing access to the CA implements and increasing the number of service providers in the county.

The CoP is composed of elected representatives from the seven wards of Tigithi, Umande, Nanyuki, Thingithu, Mukogondo East, Segera and Ngobit. The positions are that of the Chairperson; Vice Chair: Secretary; Vice Secretary; Treasurer and Committee members. One representative each was selected from

• Service providers

• Extension workers and

• County Government representative

• And two from the other stakeholders

The African Conservation Tillage Network organized the Conservation Agriculture CoPs meeting to facilitate interaction with farmers and farmer organizations as well as other stakeholders in the County of Laikipia. The bigger objective of establishing these Communities of practice is to provide platforms within communities where sharing and exchange of information and knowledge as well as to generate dialogue on how the CA practice can be out-scaled. The model of the CoPs that will evolve from Laikipia will be carefully documented at each step of the formation process. It is of course envisaged that what might work in one county may not necessarily work in the other counties as each has its unique dynamics.