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.
Citation
MBA ThesisSponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
School of Business, University of Nairobi