The word ‘Ogiek’ means ‘caretaker of flora and fauna’. Fittingly, the Ogiek people of Kenya have long relied on traditional hunting and gathering practices as their primary means of survival. This community, like many other groups of Indigenous Peoples, has faced significant challenges over the years, including displacement from their ancestral lands, changes in government policies, forced climate and conservation solutions, commercial agriculture, and the erosion of traditional knowledge.
Despite these challenges, the Ogiek have found a transformative solution through agroecology, an approach to farming that prioritises sustainable, ecological and culturally appropriate practices. Agroecology has not only served as a means of preserving traditional knowledge but has also played a crucial role in improving the health and wellbeing of the Ogiek people.
The path to agroecology
The Ogiek’s population of approximately 52,000 people are mostly located in the Mau Forest overlooking Kenya’s Rift Valley. Like many other Indigenous communities in Kenya, they have historically relied on hunting wild animals, foraging for fruits, and gathering tubers as their primary means of sustenance.
The Ogiek found themselves losing the ancestral role that gave them their name as caretakers of life
However, developments over the past decades – including government policies that prohibit hunting in order to protect wildlife and promote conservation and the eviction of people from their ancestral lands (box) – have forced the Ogiek to seek alternative livelihood strategies. The expulsion of many of their people from parts of the Mau Forest, which has traditionally provided the Ogiek with natural resources for hunting and gathering, left many families without a reliable source of nutritious food and income. This has led to untold suffering.
After hunting was prohibited as far back as 1977, the Ogiek adopted ‘modern’ methods of farming, which included the widespread use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. These methods were costly and not in line with the Ogiek’s forest caretaker practices, while the introduced crops – including hybrid maize, potatoes and cabbage – did not align with their cultural traditions.
As a result, the Ogiek no longer had access to their nutritious ancestral diet. Combined with the increased reliance on processed foods, this led to rising rates of malnutrition and poor health, an upsurge in diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and the erosion of indigenous knowledge about farming, nutrition and plant medicine. Over time, the Ogiek found themselves losing the ancestral role that gave them their name as caretakers of life.
Faced with these challenges, the Ogiek community decided to turn to traditional agricultural practices, many of which were borrowed from neighboring Indigenous and local communities. In 2022, the Ogiek community, other hunter-gatherer communities in Kenya, and various local organisations including the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP) came together to launch a scheme to promote and support the cultivation of indigenous vegetables and beekeeping.
Women and youth groups mapped out strategies for revitalising community-based food systems; their goal was not only to enhance food security, but also to improve community health and preserve the Ogiek’s cultural heritage. The Ogiek’s Council of Elders helped guide the community through the transition to agroecological farming while reinforcing the connection to traditional knowledge.
Remembering how to grow healthy food
Learning exchanges to document the Ogiek’s indigenous food and farming practices were the first concrete steps in the transition to agroecological farming. This happened through visits by the Ogiek community, specifically women and youth, to organic farms, and community-to-community learning sessions that provided exposure to traditional knowledge and to various perspectives on agroecology.
By reintroducing these crops, the Ogiek community was able to revive knowledge about growing healthy, safe foods that are well suited to their cultural heritage
One of the most immediate actions chosen by the community members was the promotion of compost and farmyard manure to replace synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. This helped reduce the cost of agricultural production and allowed the Ogiek to produce food in a more affordable and sustainable manner. Importantly, the focus was placed on cultivating indigenous vegetables – including managu (black nightshade), terere (amaranth), sagaa (spider plant), nteremek (a green leafy climber), pumpkin leaves and stinging nettle – all of which have high nutritional value and are more resilient to local climate conditions.
Although these vegetables have long been part of the Ogiek’s traditional diet, their cultivation had declined due to the shift towards modern agricultural practices. By reintroducing these crops, the Ogiek community was able to remember and revive practices and knowledge about growing healthy, safe foods that are well suited to their cultural heritage and their local environment. The community diversified its food sources and reduced dependency on external food markets, which are often unreliable and costly. With the revival of these traditional crops, farmer-to-farmer learning – not only about production techniques but also about seed saving – was fundamental for building knowledge.
Beekeeping as an economic activity
Another important strategy in the agroecology initiative was the revitalisation of beekeeping. For centuries, the Ogiek had kept bees for honey and beeswax production. Over the years, many families had given up their hives due to environmental changes and the overall decline of traditional practices.
OPDP provided the community with traditional log hives as well as modern beehives, and community members learned about improved beekeeping techniques. Beekeeping has become an effective way for the Ogiek to generate income, improve their food security, and take care of the land and the forest. The sale of honey, a valuable source of nutrition, allows families to improve their economic standing. OPDP and other community organisations are now adding value to their honey through labelling and certification and the processing of wax for candles. In addition, beekeeping has helped to address broader environmental concerns by encouraging the protection of local flora and biodiversity, as bees play a crucial role in plant pollination.
Strengthening the position of women and youth
One of the most significant results of the transition to agroecology has been the impact on women and youth. Traditionally, women in the Ogiek community have had limited access to decision-making roles in agriculture and have been marginalised in land management practices and ownership. In recent years, women and youth – alongside men – have emerged as key players in agroecological farming and beekeeping through their access to seeds, beehives and training in the principles of agroecology.
Youth are now seen by the community as key agents of change, spreading knowledge and inspiring others
As women have become more involved in farming and beekeeping, they have been able to save money that would otherwise have been spent on purchasing food from external markets. This has not only improved household nutrition but has reduced women’s dependency on male members of the family for economic support.
Youth are also actively engaged in the transfer of agroecological knowledge. Young people have played an instrumental role in adopting and adapting agroecological practices, and many have been trained as ‘champions’ of the initiative. These youth are now seen by the community as key agents of change, helping to spread knowledge and inspire other community members to adopt agroecological practices.
Throughout the transition, community members also learned about farmers’ rights and engaged in policy advocacy to influence local agroecology practices and policies.
Factors of success and challenges
The agroecology initiative in the Mau Forest has seen notable successes, particularly in the areas of food security, economic empowerment and community health. However, there have also been challenges and lessons learnt along the way.
The key strategies that proved successful were the emphasis on organic farming, the documentation of traditional practices, the revitalisation of beekeeping, and the reintroduction of indigenous crops, which are widely viewed as more nutritious than ‘common’ vegetables. This worked because these approaches are aligned with the Ogiek’s cultural practices, are well suited to the local climate, and have helped the community to access nutritious food at lower costs. Beekeeping also provided both an income-generating opportunity and a means of contributing to conservation.
Another success has been the focus on community engagement through a participatory approach. Whereas women and youth were centered, men were also asked to share their knowledge of traditional beekeeping techniques. In addition, by involving the Ogiek’s Council of Elders, OPDP has been able to empower local leaders and champions to take ownership and ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
There were, however, also some challenges along the way. For instance, not all farmers were immediately receptive to the idea of organic farming; some were sceptical of moving away from fertilisers and pesticides, fearing lower yields. Overcoming this resistance required extensive education and training, and even then, some farmers continue to rely on ‘conventional’ methods.
These lessons can inspire other communities seeking sustainable, healthy, culturally-aligned farming solutions
Furthermore, weather patterns have become increasingly erratic, and while agroecological practices are more resilient to climate change than conventional farming methods, droughts and irregular rainfall have affected crop yields. This poses a threat to food security despite the community’s best efforts. The market has also been a big challenge: massive crop yields during the rainy season result in low prices and waste. The Ogiek have come up with a solution to this challenge, which involves drying the vegetables to increase shelf life and add value.
Lessons learnt
What have we learnt? First, we know that successful agroecology projects must be community driven, and that the active participation of local people, particularly women and youth, is essential for sustaining them. Secondly, agroecology requires knowledge and skills, and providing farmer-to-farmer learning, education on farmers’ rights, and practical instruction on seed saving and other traditional techniques is key to ensuring success. And finally, agroecology is not a one-size-fits-all solution; the approach needs to be flexible and adaptable to local contexts and must address both environmental and socio-economic factors. In the case of the Ogiek, the shift to organic farming was influenced both by cultural preferences for indigenous vegetables as well as the practical needs within the community to reduce costs.
Based on these lessons, we have the following recommendations for others wanting to engage in a similar process:
- Projects are not enough to support communities to make the shift to agroecology in the long term. Research and documentation of indigenous food systems is needed to influence agroecology policies at all levels – and particularly the local level.
- Community members must be involved from the outset to ensure any project meets local needs and is culturally appropriate.
- Participants must have access to the necessary knowledge, tools and resources to succeed in agroecology.
- There should be a focus on a variety of food sources, including indigenous crops, livestock and beekeeping, to ensure resilience and reduce dependency on external markets.
Within the Ogiek community, there are plans to increase the number of beekeeping hives, to expand agroecological vegetable farming, and to further support the leadership of women and youth. Additionally, there are efforts to increase the value addition of vegetables and honey products.
This experience, which evolved around documenting and revitalising indigenous food systems, highlights that agroecology must be adapted to the unique needs and culture of each community. These lessons form a comprehensive framework that can inspire other communities seeking sustainable, healthy, culturally-aligned farming solutions.
We believe the future lies in the continued engagement of local communities. By building on the successes of our work and addressing the challenges, we hope to create a model for sustainable, community-driven agriculture that can be a source of inspiration across Kenya.
Authors: Samson L. Luari is an agroecology champion from the Ogiek community and works as a project officer at the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP) in Kenya. Daniel M. Kobei is the executive director of the OPDP. Contact: samsonluari@ogiekpeoples.org
Download pdf (slightly shortened version)
This article is part of Issue 2-2025: Cultivating health and healing
