TREYL Project - Key learning paper
The Transforming Rural Economies and Youth Livelihoods (TREYL) regenerative agriculture program, operating in Kenya f...
Finished project: Kenya
Breathing new life into rural economies in Kenya, in partnership with the IKEA Foundation. TREYL is an ambitious five-year programme, demonstrating that regenerative agriculture can create viable businesses opportunities for young people and thriving local economies.
Project overview
Title: Transforming Rural Economies and Youth Livelihoods (TREYL)
Dates: 2019 – 2024
Location: Kisumu and Homa Bay, Kenya
Participants: We aim to break the cycle of low productivity and poverty levels, targeting 6,000 young people (aged 25-35) in two counties in Kenya, helping them increase their income through agri-businesses.
Project Budget: 5.7 million GBP
Aim: Farming that works
Lead Donor: IKEA Foundation
About the Transforming Rural Economies and Youth Livelihoods (TREYL) project
“We’re committed to transforming sustainable agriculture into a viable career that enables young people in rural areas to afford a better life. Through this partnership, we want to pioneer alternative approaches that can be applied in other communities and other developing countries.”
Annelies Withofs, Programme Manager at The IKEA Foundation
Context
The Transforming Rural Economies and Youth Livelihoods programme (TREYL) focuses on the needs of young people in rural communities.
Smallholder farmers across Kenya face many challenges. Farmers often struggle to access fertile land to grow their crops and don’t have the money to invest in seeds and equipment. Conventional farming methods, coupled with the impact of climate change, lead to poor yields and harvests that are too small to feed a family and return an income.
Increasingly, young people in Kisumu and Homa Bay view agriculture as an unattractive career option. Many of them choose to leave their rural homes to try and find alternative employment in cities.
Improving the viability of agriculture as a career can address high levels of unemployment in rural areas, keep families together, provide communities with more nutritious food, and boost the local economy. Through regenerative agriculture, a new generation of farmers has the opportunity to write a different story for themselves and their local community.
Our approach
Practical Action works with governments, communities, development agencies and private companies to promote sustainable, climate-resilient, inclusive smallholder agriculture.
The TREYL programme, in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, is building a business case to demonstrate that regenerative agriculture can be commercially successful. We are working with an initial cohort of 6,000 young women and men, enhancing their business skills based on an agro-ecological approach to farming.
We are developing multi-stakeholder platforms to improve the poultry, groundnut and tomato value chains. Working groups, made up of commercial providers and government agencies, are tackling access to finance, training services and the provision of market information.
Using these techniques, young farmers can achieve independence and good standard of living, while protecting the environment and giving them skills for the future.
Our goals
- To break the cycle of low agricultural productivity and increasing poverty levels in young people aged 25 – 35.
- 6,000 young people will increase their income by making regenerative agriculture commercially viable.
- Over the longer term, we will impact 80,000 young people by demonstrating the viability of businesses in the agricultural sector.
- To transform local market systems, creating demand for products and services provided by young people will ensure the programme’s long-term sustainability.
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Achievements in 2022
The programme has mobilised businesses, government and civil society. Collaboration between different market actors has led to new solutions and addressed constraints around access to finance, market information and training. The programme has also supported the development of a number of new enterprises that support regenerative agriculture and provide opportunities for young people.
More young people employed within the agricultural sector
- 620 mentors were recruited (41% female), who have influenced a further 6000 young people (46% female) to engage in agribusiness.
- Previously many were employed as welders, boda boda drivers (motorbike taxis), or practising subsistence agriculture.
Increased adoption of regenerative agriculture techniques
- Over 70% of young farmers have adopted new, regenerative agriculture technologies (e.g. vermiculture technology, hydroponics production and integrated pest management).
- These contribute towards a circular farming system that is not only regenerative but also reduces the farmers’ expenditure on purchasing synthetic inputs.
Improved links to finance and working capital
- Over 45% of young farmers are now able to access finance from both formal and informal institutions (including the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Women Enterprise Development Fund and banks. Informal institutions include youth savings and loaning associations (YSLA)).
- Loans have been provided with an average value of $535 ($625 for male beneficiaries and $261 for females) as a result of connections made through Market Interest Groups (MIGs).
- In total, Ksh. 11,144,358 (USD$95,985) have been made available to young farmers through loans.
Better access to market information and commercial opportunities
- Through the Market Interest Groups, young people now have access to information regarding market prices, where to sell and buy different products and win business contracts. Market actors, especially farmers, have made a total of 2287 transactions with a value of $ 115,654 in the past year as a result of new connections created by MIGs.
- Different platforms have been utilised to share information and business opportunities through groups; these include WhatsApp and Telegram groups, and Facebook pages. MIGs have also set up aggregation days where buyers and sellers physically meet and conduct business.
- Through the MIGs, financial institutions have entered into dialogue with young people working in agribusiness and supported the programme’s activities. This has built good working relationships and recognition of each other as important market actors.
Sustainable Development Goals
TREYL contributes to progress against four of the 17 SDGs.
TREYL encourages women to get involved with the traditionally male-dominated field of agroecology and thrive through new business skills – making it a viable career option for a new generation.
With so many leaving to urban areas to find work, TREYL instead focuses on local, rural economic work, bolstering the local economy and encouraging environmentally-friendly livelihoods.
TREYL functions through a circular farming system, responsibly caring for the environment and giving back to the local economy.
As part of the training for young farmers, TREYL teaches new approaches to regenerative agriculture to help care for the land.
Project Downloads
Agroecology Toolkit
This Agroecology Toolkit is a guide on selected Agroecology Technologies by Agroecology Stakeholders Network (AESTANE...
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