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CONSERVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF
THE MULTI-PURPOSE NEEM TREE
A paper presented during the
International Expert Workshop
“Marketing Strategies and Human Capacity Strengthening to Realize the
Economic Potential of Underutilized Species”
Held at the University of Macerata, Italy between 28th and 31st January 2004 and
organized by the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species, the International
Plant Genetic Resources Institute and the University of Macerata
Presented by;
Timothy Nzioka
Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Gatsby Trust
ACK Garden House, 1st Ngong Avenue 6th Floor, Wing D
P O Box 44817, 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya
Tel. 254-020-2720711/2720703/2720571
Fax. 254-020-2721707
Email: tnzioka@kenyagatsby.org
Website; www.kenyagatsby.org
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ABSTRACT
Kenya’s economic performance during the past two decade has been well below potential due
to decreased investments caused by failure to sustain prudent macro economic policies, slow
pace of structural reform, persistence and severe governance problems coupled with high
levels of corruption, high costs of doing business, collapse of institutions and infrastructure.
As a result of the high level corruption, the Country’s forests were utterly abused, rapidly
turning mountain forests into high altitude deserts and almost completely eliminating
indigenous trees in the low lands. There is no doubt that environmental degradation
exacerbates poverty and reduces the quality of life.
Kenya Gatsby Trust was established back in 1991 with specific mandate of supporting the
development of the Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) Sector in Kenya for poverty reduction
and wealth creation. As a result of the poor performance by the large private sector, the
formal economy had very little to contribute towards alleviating unemployment and poverty
in our country. However, over the years the MSE sector has continued to provide an outlet for
Kenyan entrepreneurship and n