Growing the Future | YPARD Kenya Farmer's Festival & WYNA National Café

In 2024, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) Kenya hosted its inaugural Farmers’ Festival in partnership with local farmer-based organizations and the County Government of Kisumu. The success of this first convening demonstrated strong demand for youth-centered agricultural spaces that bridge skills development, innovation, policy dialogue, and community-driven action.

Building on this momentum, YPARD through its WYNA Programme and in collaboration with YPARD Kenya and the Obwombe Enterprises, and with support from diverse stakeholders, is organizing the 2026 Farmers’ Festival together with the WYNA National Café.

The event is scheduled for 13th March 2026 in Mamboleo (Opp. Slaughterhouse), Kisumu County Kenya. The event is expected to convene over participants, including students, young farmers, innovators, researchers, Agri-SMEs, development partners, policymakers, and community leaders.

The 2026 edition of the Farmers Festival will uniquely feature the WYNA National Café through the Building Women & Youth-led Network Alliances for Agroecology and Organic Agriculture (WYNA) Programme, supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), aims at  strengthening women- and youth-led networks across Africa. Implemented in partnership with Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Kenya, African Green Store Network (AGSN), and the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology (KCOA), the programme promotes agroecology and organic agriculture through capacity building, mentorship, entrepreneurship support, advocacy, and cross-network collaboration, with a strong focus on leadership development, green jobs, and inclusive agrifood systems transformation.

The theme “Growing the Future: Soil Health for Sustainable Food Systems, Agroecology & AI/Data-Driven Innovation for Youth and Community Empowerment” recognizes that young farmers and agripreneurs are navigating interconnected challenges including climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and limited market access. Addressing these requires forward-looking and integrated solutions.

By bringing together soil health restoration, agroecological practices, and emerging digital and AI-driven innovations, the Festival and WYNA National Café together aim to equip youth and community actors with practical knowledge, adaptive skills, and collaborative platforms necessary to drive sustainable food systems transformation.

The Farmers’ Festival and WYNA Café will feature a mix of interactive and experiential activities including

- a keynote address

- panel discussions

- expert talks and breakout sessions

- exhibitions and demonstrations

- entertainment and cultural performances

These activities will showcase practical innovations, lived experiences, and emerging technologies while fostering peer learning and collaboration.

At the core of this convening is the creation of a robust youth innovation and learning ecosystem designed to catalyze capacity development, technology adoption, enterprise growth, and climate-resilient agriculture. 

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About the WYNA National café

‍The WYNA National café is a participatory dialogue platform designed to create inclusive spaces for youth, women, farmers, researchers, private sector actors, and policymakers to collectively reflect on agroecology, food systems transformation, and meaningful youth engagement. By embedding the WYNA National Café within the Farmers’ Festival, the 2026 event will move beyond celebration and networking to generate concrete recommendations, strengthen alliances, and advance youth-led influence in Kenya’s agrifood systems.

About the Festival

The Festival aims to create a dynamic ecosystem of students, young farmers, innovators, researchers, agriSMEs, development partners, and community actors across Kisumu County and beyond. It seeks to establish an inclusive, action-oriented platform that facilitates the exchange of knowledge, technologies,and lived experiences among key stakeholders including: Youth and student groups, Farmer-based organizations, Universities and research institutions, County and national government actors, and Private sector agribusinesses.

A central focus of the Festival is the creation of a robust youth innovation and learning ecosystem designed to catalyze capacity development, technology adoption, enterprise growth, and climate resilient agriculture.

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Why the WYNA National Café has been Integrated in this year’s Farmers Festival

The integration of the WYNA National Café strengthens the Farmers’ Festival in three key ways.

First, it transforms dialogue into structured outcomes by generating actionable insights and recommendations for county and national stakeholders.

Second, it deepens the agroecological focus of the festival, ensuring that sustainability principles are not only discussed but embedded within youth enterprise and innovation strategies.

Third, it reinforces long-term network alliances among youth- and women-led organizations, ensuring that engagement continues beyond a single event.

Together, the YPARD Kenya Farmers’ Festival and the WYNA National Café create a dual platform: a vibrant public space for innovation, exchange, and celebration of youth leadership, and a structured mechanism for advocacy, alliance-building, and systems transformation in Kenya’s agrifood sector.

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Event Details

‍Location: Kisumu County, Kenya (Mamboleo – Opp. Slaughterhouse)

Region: East Africa

Date: 13 March 2026

Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (EAT)

For more Information:

On participation inquiries: ypardkenya@gmail.com
On enquiries about the WYNA National Café and the WYNA Programme: tadeo.ajuna@ypard.net

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