New research identifies ways to cut food losses, improve nutrition in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 8 – New research has identified storage at markets as a major source of food losses in Kenya, pointing to the need for better market coordination and commercially viable solutions to reduce waste and improve access to nutritious food.
The findings were presented in Nairobi on Tuesday during a convening organised by TechnoServe, which brought together researchers, government officials, donors and private-sector players to review three years of research and implementation under the NutriSave programme.
Funded by the Gates Foundation and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the programme has examined ways of reducing food loss and waste while improving access to affordable fruits and vegetables among low-income communities.
Research by NutriSave and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) traced tomatoes, mangoes and dark leafy vegetables through Nairobi’s wholesale markets, following produce from suppliers to informal retailers.
The research found that food losses occurred more frequently during storage at markets, either during trading hours or overnight, rather than during transportation.
Losses were also concentrated among larger vendors handling higher volumes of produce and therefore more likely to have unsold stock at the end of the day.
The findings suggest that reducing food waste will require better coordination between supply and demand, rather than focusing only on increasing food production.
Sebastian Oggema, Acting Country Director at TechnoServe, said informal food vendors were an important part of efforts to reduce food losses while improving access to nutritious food.
“Informal food vendors were central to achieving NutriSave’s dual objectives: reducing food loss and waste while improving access to nutritious food for low-income consumers. We need to invest more in their agency if we are to achieve meaningful food system transformation in Kenya,” Oggema said.
The research identified opportunities to redirect surplus produce to businesses and organisations that can process it, while also considering cold-storage solutions where the investment makes commercial sense.
Researchers said more data and cost-benefit analysis will be needed to determine which interventions can be implemented profitably and at scale.
NutriSave has also tested market-based solutions, including working with Six Square Limited to turn surplus and cosmetically imperfect produce into minimally processed ready-to-cook products.
The programme also partnered with Baba Mboga, a grocery delivery platform that connects consumers and informal vendors with fresh and prepared vegetables.
TechnoServe said the programme’s experience showed that reducing food loss requires solutions that take into account the incentives and challenges faced by different market players, while also testing whether the solutions can remain commercially viable beyond pilot projects.
The programme has documented its findings in a practitioners’ playbook on reducing food loss and waste while improving access to nutritious food.
The Nairobi meeting included presentations from NutriSave partners including IFPRI, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and EDI Global.
The findings are expected to inform future research, investment and market-based interventions aimed at reducing food losses and improving food and nutrition security in Kenya.
