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A new agri-food strategy that aims to make it easier for Irish firms to do business in east Africa will be signed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney when he visits Kenya this week.
The Minister will formally ratify the new Ireland-Kenya Agri-Food Strategy 2017-2021 during his visit.
The strategy will provide a focus for Irish investment in agri-food, support investment opportunities for Irish companies and also allow farm businesses in Kenya to benefit from Ireland’s global reputation for excellence and expertise in agriculture.
The strategy draws on Ireland’s overseas development and trade promotion objectives, while supporting the creation of new institutional linkages in Africa.
The new strategy, entitled Our Shared Interest, is a combined initiative of the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya, the Nairobi-based Business Ireland Kenya (BIK) network and has the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Forum for International Agricultural Development (IFIAD) consortium.
The Irish ambassador in Kenya and co-chair of Business Ireland Kenya Dr Vincent O’Neill says that the strategy will complement the objectives of the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme (AADP), a fund launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Irish Aid to support Irish companies to develop business opportunities in Kenya and the wider region.
During his visit, Minister Coveney will also meet with Irish businesses based in Kenya to discuss the opportunities to further strengthen the Ireland-Kenya trading partnership – an initiative that BIK has been working to achieve since it was formed in 2013.
With more than 70 Irish related businesses, ranging from agri-food to retail, textiles, exploration and pharmaceuticals involved, BIK is one of the fastest growing business networks in east Africa’s largest city.
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