SECTOR
Agriculture & Agribusiness
OLM Law advises Kenya agriculture and agribusiness sector on land, supply contracts, AFA and KEPHIS compliance, agri-finance and disputes.
DISCUSS YOUR MATTER →Legal services for agribusinesses, cooperatives and agricultural investors in Kenya.
Agriculture and agribusiness lawyers for tea, coffee, horticulture, livestock and aquaculture businesses in Kenya, including outgrower schemes and cooperative structures. The sector demands specialist knowledge of agricultural land law, the Crops Act and Co-operative Societies Act, export licensing, AFA regulation and cross-border trading under EAC and AfCFTA frameworks.
Relevant expertise: Real Estate & Property; Corporate & Commercial; Tax; Employment & Labour; Dispute Resolution & ADR
How we help. We act for tea, coffee, horticulture, livestock and aquaculture businesses, including outgrower schemes and cooperative structures, on agricultural land law, the Crops Act and the Co-operative Societies Act, export licensing and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) regulation, supply and offtake contracts, employment for seasonal and permanent workers, and cross-border trade under EAC and AfCFTA frameworks.
Why OLM for agriculture and agribusiness. Agribusiness combines land tenure, cooperative governance, export regulation and a large seasonal workforce — a distinctive risk profile. We bring land, corporate, tax and employment capability together so producers and exporters can scale and trade regionally with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What licences are needed to export agricultural produce from Kenya? Export of regulated crops requires registration and licensing with the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and compliance with phytosanitary and standards requirements. We handle the licensing and the export contracts.
How are outgrower and cooperative structures regulated? Cooperatives are governed by the Co-operative Societies Act, and outgrower arrangements rest on supply contracts and land agreements. We structure and document both.
What employment rules apply to seasonal agricultural workers? Seasonal workers are entitled to written contracts, statutory minimum wages, WIBA coverage and, after prescribed service periods, proportionate leave and severance. We advise on compliant seasonal-workforce arrangements.
Agriculture & Agribusiness Law in Kenya
Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy — from tea, coffee and horticulture for export to dairy, cereals and a fast-growing agri-processing industry. As agribusiness lawyers in Kenya, OLM Law advises farmers, processors, exporters, input suppliers, cooperatives and investors on the commercial, regulatory and land issues that arise across the agricultural value chain.
The regulatory landscape
The sector is regulated principally by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) under the Agriculture and Food Authority Act and the Crops Act, with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) overseeing plant health, seed certification and phytosanitary standards. Cooperative structures fall under the Co-operative Societies Act, and the use of agricultural land sits within Kenya’s land-law framework. We help clients meet these requirements while keeping their operations commercial.
How we help
- Land and tenure — acquiring, leasing and securing agricultural land, and advising on land use and conversion.
- Commercial agreements — supply, off-take, out-grower, distribution and input-supply contracts.
- Regulatory compliance — AFA and KEPHIS licensing, food-safety standards and export requirements.
- Agri-finance and investment — financing, joint ventures and investment into agribusiness, including value-chain and warehouse-receipt finance.
- Cooperatives and disputes — formation and governance of cooperatives, and resolving supply, land and contractual disputes.
Relevant expertise
We draw on our Real Estate, Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial, Tax and Dispute Resolution teams for agribusiness clients — linking to each of those practice-area pages.
To invest in, finance or structure an agribusiness in Kenya, contact OLM Law.
