Kenya has thrown its weight behind a Brazil-led push to bolster global food security and combat poverty, calling for stronger partnerships among developing nations to confront rising hunger and climate-related threats to food systems.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula praised Brazil’s leadership on global food issues, noting that international cooperation and mutual learning are vital to building resilient, sustainable food systems.

Wetang’ula who was speaking on behalf of President Ruto at the second Brazil–Africa Dialogue on Food Security, Hunger and Rural Development, charged that the country’s transition from reactive emergency food relief to proactive resilience-building is aimed at redefining agriculture as a tool for inclusive development.

“We are here because the challenges facing food systems today , from climate change and biodiversity loss to economic shocks and conflict, are unprecedented and demand urgent, inclusive, and evidence-based solutions,” he said.

According to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, over 295 million people in 53 countries faced crisis-level hunger or worse in 2024, with climate-related disasters and economic instability cited as key drivers. Against this backdrop, the Brazil–Africa Dialogue seeks to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between the Global South to chart a path toward sustainable food systems.

Among the key interventions highlighted were the adoption of digital technologies to empower farmers with real-time data, scaling inclusive agricultural finance, and investing in youth- and women-centred food production systems.

Kenya has also introduced innovative programmes such as e-voucher platforms for farm inputs, urban hydroponic farms, and school feeding programmes linked to smallholder farmers.

Growing partnership

“These efforts reflect our national commitment to end hunger and build sustainable food systems,” the Speaker said, while expressing satisfaction at being part of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, launched last year in Rio de Janeiro.

Wetang’ula underscored the importance of intra-African trade through frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is helping improve food availability and affordability by promoting cross-border market integration.

He revealed that Kenya has identified Brazil as a strategic trade partner and called for deeper bilateral cooperation. Over the past decade, he disclosed, trade between the two countries has grown steadily, with Kenya exporting fish, coffee, tea and other agricultural products.