On May 9-13, 2026, 12 delegates including senior representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the Kenya Agricultural Digital Information Centre (KADIC), county-level agricultural directors, and World Bank lending operation teams participated in a knowledge exchange to South Korea on the margins of Korea Green Innovation Days (KGID 2026).
Delegates participated in high-level technical symposiums, institutional dialogues, and field visits designed to extract actionable data-driven insights to directly accelerate Kenya’s National Soil Information System (SIS) and climate-resilient farming initiatives.
A visit to South Korea's RDA and KOAT allowed participants to observe how agricultural soil data is generated and applied. KOAT demonstrated high-throughput labs that analyze soil and water samples for nutrients, heavy metals, and residues, while RDA showcased Heuktoram — a national soil information system that delivers parcel-level soil data to farmers via web and mobile, guiding their water and fertilizer use. Inspired by this model, Kenya is already moving forward on a similar digital soil platform, with an RDA soil scientist set to visit Nairobi later this year to co-host a foundational technical workshop.
A visit to Yonsei University allowed the delegation to interact with Prof. Lee who emphasized that a successful platform must be dynamic rather than a static database, evolving through regular updates and learning cycles.
The delegation also met with Saefarm, a Korean ag-tech startup whose platform aggregates daily multi-spectral data from over 200 satellites to monitor soil moisture, nitrogen levels, and crop health — delivering high-resolution yield predictions without ground sensors, offering a compelling model for large-scale agricultural planning and decision support.
Additionally, at Green Climate Fund (GCF) headquarters, delegates explored financing opportunities for Kenya's climate resilience. Together, the visits resulted in a clear pathway for resource mobilization by aligning Kenya's digital agriculture frameworks with GCF criteria, laying the groundwork for scaling climate-adaptive investments in smallholder systems.
Ultimately, the delegation identified several core systemic components that will shape Kenya’s agricultural digitalization strategy and the exchange was an inspiring reminder that building a resilient soil information system isn't just about technology—it’s about fostering a deep commitment to valuing and protecting our data.