KIRDI partners with FAO to tackle food loss and waste in Kenya

CHRIS MAHANDARA-KNA 

The Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) has partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to combat food loss and waste in the country.

This partnership follows concerns over high post-harvest losses and food wastage at the household level, which threaten the country’s food security and economic development.

Through the partnership, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) working in different agricultural value chains are being trained in various technologies and innovations to curb post-harvest losses and add value to their produce, maximizing benefits.

The training focuses on the practical application of technologies such as solar drying, hermetic storage, and cold chain systems, which are essential in preserving agricultural produce.

Speaking at KIRDI’s Kisumu Center during the launch of the first round of training, Dr. Onyango said 20 MSMEs drawn from across the country were given hands-on training at the agency’s laboratories and incubation facilities on the latest agro-processing technologies to build their capacity and reduce post-harvest losses and food waste from 30 percent to zero.

“A lot of food is lost at the farm level. The goal of this training, which is both practical and theoretical, is to ensure that we reduce this to zero so that everybody can have sufficient food in the country,” he said. 

This, he said, was in line with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and is expected to have a ripple effect on small scale farmers to boost food security in the country.

“We are empowering MSMEs with tailored solutions in post-harvest handling, storage, and value addition. By reducing losses to zero, we not only safeguard food security but also boost incomes for small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs,” he said.

FAO representative Winnie Yegon said the organisation had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Health to roll out the program.

Food loss and waste, she said, is a big concern which touches on the three ministries adding that FAO has released funds to KIRDI to conduct the training which is expected to reverse the tide.

This, she said, was a critical step toward achieving Kenya’s food security goals, aligning with global efforts to reduce food loss under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“By building the capacity of MSMEs and enhancing their access to technology, the KIRDI-FAO initiative promises not only to mitigate food loss but also to foster a resilient and sustainable food value chain across Kenya,” she said.