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Sub Saharan Africa is challenged by the need to feed and keep its populations healthy; hence the dramatic move and pressure on small scale farmers to adopt modern technologies that enhance agricultural production. Small scale farming mainly for household food security and selling surplus produce for cash is a key characteristic of agricultural production in this part of the world. This has in turn slowed the adoption of mechanization, monoculture and use of costly inputs like hybrid seeds and chemicals. Small scattered production systems have also contributed to difficulties in laying down organized marketing structures and systems, making it difficult for farmers to realize the benefits of adopting Western Agricultural production technologies.

These modern technologies that have been known to change agricultural production in the Western World and spearheaded Green Revolution in Asia yielded to positive effects on farming. However, this technology made farming dependable high costs of production business. The benefits on the other side have been accompanied by environment challenges such as topsoil depletion, groundwater contamination, decline in the health of farm workers arising from toxic chemical poisoning, threat to the existence of bio-diversity. On the contrary, adoption of green revolution new technologies in Sub Saharan Africa has been difficult and has not benefited small scale farmers.

On realization of these challenges SACDEP-Kenya has been promoting agricultural practices that contribute to improved social and environmental benefits to farmers since 1993. It has done so by working closely with resource-limited farmers by conducting research, transferring technology and exchanging ideas, knowledge and information on Sustainable Ecological Agriculture. Evaluation of SACDEP-Kenya’s work has shown that Sustainable Ecological Agriculture addresses diverse environmental and social concerns and also offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for farmers, farm workers, consumers, and many others in the entire food system.

To ensure continued and wide training, SACDEP-Kenya found it necessary to develop a formal curriculum on Sustainable Ecological Agriculture. A Craft certificate in Sustainable Ecological Agriculture curriculum will provide an opportunity to the trainees to study and practice Sustainable Ecological Agriculture. In 2019 SACDEP-Kenya  established the College for Sustainable Agriculture for Eastern Africa (CSAEA). The college is used to train to tap rich experiences gained since 1993 to develop Sustainable Ecological Agriculture in Kenya and in East Africa. CSAEA will provide a major step towards empowering and building the capacity of practitioners to ensure food security as envisaged in Vision 2030 and Big 4 development programme. It will also assist Kenya attain Sustainable Development Goals