Kenya unveils food banking drive to fight hunger, cut methane emissions

Approximately 40 per cent of food produced in Kenya is wasted or lost annually.

This translates into about nine million tonnes, with a value of $578 million (Sh72 billion). At the same time, millions of households go to bed hungry owing to food shortages.

Unfortunately, once organic waste ends up in landfills and decomposes without proper management, it generates methane, a potent short-lived climate pollutant.

However, food that is wasted and ends up being a climate, environment and health hazard can be used to nourish populations, especially vulnerable groups.

Last week, a new initiative was launched in Kisumu, seeking to turn food loss and waste into an opportunity for better nutrition, climate mitigation and socio-economic empowerment.

Dubbed the Sustainable Food Banking Strategy for Methane Mitigation Project, the initiative will support the development of sustainable food banking systems in Kisumu, Vihiga and Siaya counties.

The project will bring together county governments, food businesses, market actors, financial institutions, communities, civil society, women and youth groups to demonstrate how food banking can deliver numerous benefits.

These benefits include reduction of food waste and methane emissions while improving nutrition, creating socio-economic opportunities and enhancing circularity.  

Implemented by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (The Alliance) in partnership with the national and respective county governments, the project is funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

According to Dr Sylvia Nyawira, the project lead and scientist at The Alliance, waste accounts for about three per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions -1.8 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO₂e annually.

Africa, she added, generates about 174 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, while Kenya contributes approximately two million tonnes of CO₂e annually.

“Within the waste sector, methane contributes about 65 per cent of emissions, largely from landfills and wastewater. With methane being 84 times more powerful than CO₂ over 20 years, improving waste management offers a significant opportunity to rapidly reduce emissions,” said Dr Nyawira, adding that tackling waste is not only about keeping communities clean, but also a critical climate action.

Key activities within this initiative include investigation into where food losses occur, why they happen and where opportunities exist to recover food before it becomes waste.

Based on the evidence generated, counties will be able to identify the most viable interventions and develop suitable banking models that are both technically and economically viable and capable of delivering measurable nutrition and climate benefits. Also to be examined are infrastructure and financing.

Recovered food will be distributed to groups and institutions that face challenges in accessing ample and nutritious foods. These include Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centres, schools, vulnerable households and community organisations.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately 16 per cent of children in Kenya experience severe food poverty, while 47 per cent live in moderate food poverty.

This means more than six in 10 children lack access to sufficiently diverse, nutrient-rich diets needed for healthy growth and development.

In Siaya and Kisumu, some entrepreneurs are already demonstrating that mitigation of food waste is possible.

Angela Ahenda, the founder and director of Siaya-based Janeko Arts, processes overripe bananas into munchins, turning what might otherwise be discarded into nutritious snacks.

“Bananas are loaded with nutrients such as vitamins, potassium and dietary fibre. I therefore believe none should go to waste,” she says, adding that the munchins provide a healthy and naturally sweet snack.

At Pap Mbuta Market in Kisumu, traders have also developed ways of preserving fish, including drying whole fish and fish skin. “We also use scales for jewellery and ornaments, while fish bone is processed into fish meal,” says Remjius Odhiambo, Secretary, Pap Mbuta Market.

Such initiatives demonstrate that food loss can become a resource for enterprise, innovation and income generation when the right systems and markets are in place.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Irrigation, Livestock Development, Fisheries and Blue Economy, Kenneth Onyango, hailed the initiative, saying it has potential beyond the three participating counties.

“This project is a model for regional and national scaling. Through the Council of Governors (CoG), Kisumu is partnering with Vihiga and Siaya Counties to establish a standardised, multi-county food banking framework,” he said.

The CoG, he added, would provide a platform for sharing policy lessons and scaling the model to the remaining counties.

Cognizant of the roles played by youth and women in the food systems, as well as the challenges they face, this project will be keen on the inclusion of these groups.

John Gathungu, founder and executive director of Food Banking Kenya, emphasised the role of food banking towards bridging the gap between food availability and need.

He added that this is achievable through keeping nutritious food within the food system, creating opportunities for communities and reducing the volume of food that is lost or wasted. This way, food salvage not only serves as a socio-economic intervention, but also climate action.