ENERGY CROPS
This
manual is the cornerstone training resource of the ELMECC Project, implemented
in Kenya by Practical Action with support from Integral Media Limited. It has
been developed through a rigorous process of needs assessment, field
consultation, and iterative review, drawing on the Giraffe Bioenergy gap
analysis, the Business Development Services Presentation delivered at the
Nakuru validation meeting on 31 March 2026, and the insights of trainers,
farmers and cooperative leaders across five counties through various
engagements.
This
manual has been contextualized for five counties Nairobi, Kisumu, Kajiado,
Kilifi, and Nakuru, each with distinct climate conditions, market dynamics, and
community needs. The anchor case throughout is Giraffe Bioenergy in Kilifi
County, founded by Dr. Linda Davis, which provides a living proof of concept:
cassava farmers primarily women, can transition from subsistence production to
certified, income-generating suppliers to an ethanol processing plant.
The
manual integrates Gender Equality, Disability Inclusion, and Social Inclusion
(GEDSI) principles throughout every module, not as an afterthought, but as
structural features of how training is delivered, how assessments are
conducted, and how certification is awarded. Youth and women are not target
beneficiaries in name only; they are active co-designers of the economic
systems this programme is building.
We
dedicate this proposed manual to every farmer, cooperative leader and young
agri-preneurs in Kilifi, Kajiado, Kisumu, Nakuru and Nairobi who has looked at
their land and asked: what else is possible? This manual is our answer.
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04 Jun 2026
FREE
