81308323-Enhancing and sustaining the adoption of sustainable soil management practices

ProSoil implements soil protection and rehabilitation measures at scale, mainly: - Conservation Agriculture: In cooperation with agricultural self-help groups, the Counties" extension agents and local service providers, the project has introduced minimum tillage and related tools, promotes permanent soil cover as well as crop rotation to preserve soil organic matter. - Integrated Soil Fertility Management: To restore soil fertility, the project supports the application of lime, vermicompost, livestock manure and inter-cropping with nitrogen-fixing legumes. Soil testing is conducted to identify adequate measures. - Agroforestry: The project trains farmers on the integration of woody perennials, nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs and fruit trees with food crops to control soil erosion and improve soil fertility. - Soil & Water Conservation: The project also promotes physical and biological measures that reduce runoff velocity on and off farmlands, thus reducing soil erosion. - Integrated Pest Management: Push-pull systems and biopesticides are promoted with the aim of sustainably controlling pests while protecting the environment and reduce production costs. - Vocational training: A curriculum on sustainable soil management that meets national standards for vocational training has been developed to qualify farmers and future agricultural advisors. - Policy Advice: Support for the government includes the development of National Agriculture Soil Management Policy, the domestication of the same policy at the County level and its implementation via the Counties" planning instruments.

The widespread accessibility of the associated soil management inputs and services is an obvious precondition for achieving their adoption at scale. A key learning of the ProSoil project is that accessibility of AE inputs and services at scale cannot be facilitated by government or project interventions alone but require private sector involvement. Yet, business cases for agroecological innovations are often undermined by access barriers to the formal market such as scientific evidence on effectiveness, standardization and certification. Against this background, the ProSilience theory of change is that research facilitates private sector investment. Moreover, ProSilience explores the application of AE soil management approaches in sugar cane farming, reviews agricultural extension approaches and, in collaboration with AE private sector and civil society initiatives, advocates for policy change for AE at national level.

ProSilience is integrated into the ProSoil approach and therefore considered a component within the project. Its three fields of action place particular emphasis on research activities: - The adoption of technical and socio-economic measures related to innovations in agroecology is enhanced - The political and research framework for agroecological transition in Kenya is improved. - Kenyan stakeholders make use of the co-created knowledge and evidence on agroecology shared at national and international level.

The contractor will contribute to all three fields of action of the ProSoil/ProSilience project in Western Kenya from contract award - 12/2025. (field of action 2).

Work package 1: Agricultural training and advisory services comprises the contractor"s contribution to the fields of action 1 - "Agricultural advisory and training on sustainable soil management" (ProSoil) and "The adoption of technical and socio-economic measures related to innovations in agroecology is enhanced" (ProSilience). Thereby, focus will be on the technical and administrative capacity building of community-based organizations (CBOs) for the delivery of agricultural extension services that result in enhancing and sustaining the adoption of AE soil management practices by smallholder farmers. Capacity building to CBOs and agricultural extension services to smallholder farmers will be delivered in the framework of local contribution contracts.

Work package 2: Contributing to long-term sustainability comprises the contrac-tor"s contribution to the fields of action 2 - "Framework conditions for the adoption of sustainable soil management by smallholders" (ProSoil) and "The political and re-search framework for agroecological transition in Kenya is improved." (ProSilience). These complementary activities will reduce barriers to the adoption of AE practices and/or provide additional incentives to do so. This includes setting up and supporting community seed banks and farmer-led research trials as well as organizing farmers to join a carbon offsetting scheme previously established under ProSoil.

Work package 3: Documenting knowledge and experience comprises the contrac-tor"s contribution to the fields of action 3 - "Knowledge transfer" (ProSoil) and "Kenyan stakeholders make use of the co-created knowledge and evidence on agroecology" (ProSilience). By documenting the experiences and learnings from implementing fields of action 1 and 2, the contractor contributes to knowledge management.