In mid-July, a total of 80 Kenyan interns set off for Ravensburg and Mannheim, where this year’s two excursions took place, with half of the interns joining each trip.

The programme included visits to companies such as John Deere, Liebherr and BASF, as well as agricultural research and education institutions such as the Competence Centre for Fruit Growing at Lake Constance (KOB) and LAZBW. Various farms and agricultural marketing organisations also opened their doors to us, including Hopfengut No. 20, the Solawi Marktgarten im Saubad and Pfalzmarkt.

The programme was rounded off with a variety of cultural and sightseeing activities. The interns explored Ravensburg, Friedrichshafen, Mannheim and Heidelberg, enjoyed a guided tour of the PreZero Arena in Hoffenheim, visited the TECHNOSEUM in Mannheim and learned more about global agriculture and the worldwide distribution of agricultural land during a guided tour of the Weltacker in Überlingen.

One special feature of this year’s excursions was that the entire trip was completed using public transport. This gave the interns an insight into Germany’s sometimes rather complicated railway system. And during the last few kilometres on foot, there were not only a few tired feet, but also plenty of beautiful views to enjoy along the way.

The AKI team would like to sincerely thank all the farms, companies and institutions for their time, the fascinating insights and the open conversations. Your support once again helped make this year’s excursion week such a varied and educational experience.