Environmental factors influencing selection of Foreign markets for branded agricultural products by major exporters in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are the world’s targets for dramatically reducing extreme poverty in its many dimensions by 2015, these being income- poverty, hunger and disease exclusion, lack of infrastructure and shelter—while promoting gender equality, education, health, and environmental sustainability. In order to achieve these goals the government undertook to review its governance strategy of the country, the product of which was the Kenya Vision 2030. The Vision 2030 identifies three fundamentals to achieve this, these being the economic, social and political aspects which form the pillars of the strategy. Agriculture was identified as a flagship sector under the economic pillar with value addition being outlined as key to determining the competitiveness of Kenya’s produce on world markets. Kenya is largely an exporter of bulk/semi processed products which has aligned her to trading partners with well developed value addition infrastructure. Moving away from this status by adding value to agricultural produce is bound to destabilize the value chain at the export destination which can lead to unfavourable reciprocal reactions. Alternative markets will have to be identified. This research therefore utilized the experience of traders who are currently exporting value added agricultural products to identify and prioritize environmental factors that Influence Market Selection for these products.