Tegemeo Institute conducts Research and Analysis on policy in the domain of Agriculture, Rural development, Natural resources and Environment. The Institute aims at addressing micro and macroeconomic policy issues bearing on farming, transportation, processing, marketing, and trade of agricultural products and inputs; sustainability of agricultural systems and natural resources as well as the environment; and commercialization, income growth and food security. The focus is as follows:

1. Conducting systematic research to identify, characterize and assess production, processing, marketing, trade and policy factors that impact on competitiveness and comparative advantage of major agricultural commodity systems. The major purpose is to identify options for achieving sustained growth of agricultural income and employment.
2. Conducting research to understand interrelationships between agriculture and other sectors of the economy for the purpose of elucidating complementarities and synergies whose exploitation could contribute to faster and sustainable agricultural and overall growth.
3. Conducting research to identify, understand and assess food and income access constraints especially for vulnerable groups. The major purpose is to identify options for developing an improved and sustainable food system that assures access to adequate food for all. Access to resources, nutrition status and consumption patterns are important components.
4. Conducting research to understand how institutions impact on incentives and the behavior of all the actors in the domains implied in the above objectives. The aim is to identify policy and institutional reforms that have the greatest potential to promote national objectives.
5. Offering training courses seminars and workshops in the area of agricultural, natural resources and environmental policy analysis and implementation as well as management of agricultural enterprises.

Tegemeo's approach is to combine research, capacity building and outreach. The following are the main features of the Institute's approach:

1. Research on issues and policies that impact on agriculture, natural resources, environment and rural development with the aim of generating practical options for addressing contemporary problems.
2. Building of a data bank of information that could be useful in rural and agricultural policy analysis, formulation and implementation.
3. Outreach activity to inform on research findings and their implications for policy formulation and decision-making.
4. Holding of conferences, workshops, seminars, and briefings to communicate research findings and provide a forum for open discussion among researchers and other professionals, university academicians, policy analysts, policy advisors, policy makers and representatives of farmers, manufacturers, traders and other stakeholders.
5. Publication of the research works in proceedings, working papers, professional journals and popular media to assure wide dissemination.
6. Supporting the development and strengthening of capacity building for policy research, analysis and outreach.
7. Collaboration on research and exchange of information with institutions and agencies with similar interests and engaged in similar work.

Achievements
The institute has influenced policy formulation by participating in the preparation and formulation of key Government strategy documents. Among the major achievements of the institute are:

1. Developing a rural household panel data for the years 1996/1997, 1997/1998, 1999/2000, and 2001/2002 crop years. This database has provided policy makers with important insights on the impact of policies implemented since the mid 1990s on rural livelihoods.
2. Developing a Baseline for Rockefeller funded interventions in Western Kenya for future monitoring and evaluation.
3. Developing a baseline for Kenya Agricultural Produc¬tivity Project (KAPP) to lay the foundation for monitor¬ing the impacts of the project and eventual evaluation.
4. Developing a baseline for the Agricultural Sector Program Support (ASPS/DANIDA) in Kenya.
5. Collaboration with the Agricultural Sector Coordination Unit (ASCU) to spearhead the implementation of the Strategy for Revitalizing Agriculture(SRA)
6. Developing an income Proxy model that is easy to use in monitoring rural household welfare.
7. Participation in the formulation of Kenya Vision 2030, the long-term development strategy aimed at transforming Kenya into a newly-industrializing, middle income country.
8. Formulation of the strategy to reform the Dairy, Coffee, Sugar, Tea and Pyrethrum industries in government appointed Task Forces, assisting in the preparation of sessional papers and draft bills.
9. Capacity building for the Parliamentary Committee, particulary the Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources.
10. Contributed to the new Cooperative Sessional Papers and subsequent Acts of Parliament.
11. Participated in the preparation, formulation, and dissemination of the Kenya Rural Development Study (KRDS) as input into Kenya’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP).
12. Participated in the preparation and formulation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and participated in most Sector Working Groups for the preparation of the PRSP.
13. Participating in the formulation and implementation and dissemination of government development strategies such as the Economic Recovery strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation(ERS).
14. Supporting and participating in the preparation and formulation of the Strategy for Revitalization of Agriculture (SRA).
15. Assisted in establishing the Kenya Private Sector Association (KEPSA), which is now a private sector policy lobby group.
16. Involved in the formulation of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for the PRSP/ERS.
17. Monitored changes in agricultural performance by tracing and monitoring welfare, income, and income components over time, through the use of easy-to-collect proxy variables.
18. Involved in the formulation of the strategy to privatise and liberalize the coffee and sugar industries in government appointed Task Forces.
19. Sensitized the Constitution Review Commission on the role of agriculture in the Kenyan economy and how stakeholders in agriculture could be empowered in the new constitution.
20. Promoted policy dialogue and advocacy among producers, consumers, civil society, private sector and parliamentarians that has contributed to a more all encompassing and inclusive policy formulation process in Kenya.

Besides this, the institute has been instrumental to the success of various projects by providing empirical information including the USAID funded Kenya Maize Development Project (KMDP), the Kenya Dairy Devel¬opment project (KDDP), and the Horticulture Develop¬ment centre (HDC) among others.

Tegemeo has also started to expand its policy analysis mandate to East and Central Africa. Currently, the institute is involved in a regional fertilizer harmoniza¬tion study with the East and Central Africa Program for Agricultural Policy Analysis (ECAPAPA).

Tegemeo is also collaborating with the Eastern African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA) In a study that takes an inventory of coffee policies In the region.

Tegemeo plans to consolidate its policy research and analysis by collaborating with other stakeholders and partners in the region. The institute aims to strengthen linkages with donors and partners. With the new develop¬ments in the COMESA and the East African Community, the Comprehensive Africa Development Program (CAADP) under the new partnership for African Develop¬ment Program (NEPAD). Tegemeo also intends to venture into untapped sectors such as natural resource policy initiatives.

With an elaborate capacity building program in place, Tegemeo will continue to be a centre of excellence in agricultural policy in the foreseeable future and beyond.

Partners
Tegemeo Institute and Michigan State University (MSU) are currently funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Tegemeo Agricultural Policy Research and Analysis (TAPRA). This is a 4 year collaborative project whose objective is to consolidate its gains so far achieved in action oriented research and policy outreach, capacity building and monitoring of key trends in the agricultural sector.

In addition, the institute has joint projects with GRIPS/FASID of the University of Tokyo in collaboration with the World Agro-Forestry Centre(ICRAF), the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED),East and Central Africa Program for Agricultural Policy Analysis (ECAPAPA) and Cornell University.

Other collaborators include the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARl), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), IFRI, Institute of Economic Affairs (lEA), Kenya Institute of Public Policy. Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR), Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Economic Forum.

Egerton University Research and Extension Department

Michigan State University

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya