Agriculture and Food Authority(AFA)

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) is a state corporation established under the Agriculture and Food Authority Act No. 13 of 2013. AFA consolidates Kenya’s crop regulatory institutions—including the Coffee Board, Kenya Sugar Board, Horticultural Crops Development Authority, Cotton Development Authority, Pyrethrum Board, Coconut Development Authority, and Sisal Board—into a unified framework to regulate, develop, and promote scheduled crops value chains.

AFA’s mandate covers the entire crops value chain, from production, processing, storage, transportation, and marketing, to trade, ensuring adherence to national standards and codes of practice. It enforces the Crops Act (2013), promotes best agricultural practices, fosters innovation, and encourages adoption of modern technologies among farmers, processors, and agribusinesses. The Authority also collects and maintains comprehensive data on crop production, monitors trends, and registers stakeholders to support informed planning and market development.

Through advisory services, AFA shapes research priorities, informs policy decisions, and guides national and county governments on levy structures, sectoral planning, and regulatory compliance. Its organizational structure is divided into directorates specializing in coffee, food crops, horticultural crops, nuts and oil crops, miraa, pyrethrum, fiber, and other industrial crops.

For farmers, cooperatives, processors, exporters, and county governments, AFA ensures a level playing field while supporting market access, food safety, and sustainable production practices. By integrating regulation, development, and advisory services, AFA strengthens Kenya’s agribusiness sector, enhances crop quality, promotes innovation, and contributes to economic growth and improved livelihoods.