Strengthening farmers' voices in food systems transformation: An analysis of the Governor's Day with Farmers in Western Kenya

Larissa Stiem Bhatia^*William OnuraHarry Konrad Hoffmann

• TMG Research gGmbH, Berlin, Germany

Kenya, like many countries, faces the challenge of transforming its food systems to make them more just, resilient, and sustainable. A significant obstacle in this transformation is the challenge of meaningfully including various actors—food producers, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and consumers—in decision-making processes. Farmers, in particular, are often excluded from such critical discussions. This case study examines the Governor's Day with Farmers (GDF) initiative in Kakamega County, Kenya. The GDF takes a bottom-up approach to agricultural policymaking, empowering farmers and ensuring greater inclusivity in food systems transformation. Using original qualitative data, including expert interviews, document analysis, and participant observation, the authors analyzed the preliminary impacts of two iterations of GDF. The case study's findings suggest that GDF serves as a vital platform for stakeholder engagement, enabling farmers to voice concerns directly to policymakers. This increased representation and dialogue help policymakers better understand farmers' needs and facilitates the integration of farmer-driven priorities into local government planning processes. In this way, GDF strengthens the link between farmers and policymakers, promoting more inclusive and responsive governance in the agricultural sector. The study also identified several challenges. First, there is a risk that GDF may be exploited for political purposes rather than serving as a genuine process for inclusive policymaking. Such political instrumentalization would undermine its effectiveness. Second, farmer organizations must be adequately equipped – both financially and technically – if they are to take the lead in extending the initiative beyond Kakamega to other counties in Kenya. In this community case study, GDF emerges as a promising policy approach for inclusive governance in food systems transformation. It empowers farmers and has the potential to contribute to meaningful policy change, provided that risks such as political exploitation and resource constraints are managed effectively. To maintain the initiative's impact over time, efforts will be needed to overcome financial constraints, mitigate political interference, and ensure adequate follow-up and integration into policymaking processes.