Market mismatch: Kenya spends millions on spoilage as nutrition shortfall widens

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Up to 40 per cent of fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted along supply chains, while many low-income households fall short of consuming the recommended daily intake of these nutritious foods.

This is according to NutriSave’s three-year research that focused on tracing losses of key crops such as tomatoes, mangoes, and dark leafy vegetables through Nairobi’s wholesale markets.

Despite the common belief that transportation is the primary source of loss, it has been discovered that the most significant food loss occurs during storage at wholesale markets, particularly overnight.

Larger vendors handling higher volumes are disproportionately affected by unsold produce at day’s end, revealing a critical issue of poor coordination between supply and demand.

The disconnect in the market contributes both to significant economic loss and to the ongoing nutrition gap for Kenya’s vulnerable populations, millions of whom consume only about 140 grams of fruits and vegetables daily, far below the recommended 400 grams.

To tackle this challenge, innovative market-based solutions are needed that strike a balance between commercial viability and social impact.

“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,” said Sebastian Oggema, acting country director at TechnoServe.

The research suggests valuable opportunities to connect excess produce with processors capable of creating value-added products and to invest in cold storage technologies where viable. However, scaling these solutions requires better data, rigorous cost-benefit analyses, and innovative financing models  to overcome barriers faced by mid-sized agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Pilot initiatives highlighted by NutriSave involve collaborations with Six Square Ltd, a company that transforms visually imperfect produce into convenient ready-to-cook products, and the Baba Mboga app, a delivery platform for fresh produce and prepared vegetables to consumers and informal vendors.

These pilots demonstrated how understanding market incentives and constraints, tailoring solutions to consumer and business needs, and testing commercial viability are key to reducing food loss sustainably.

The programme has consolidated its insights and practical lessons into a Practitioners’ Playbook, “Waste Less, Nourish More,” designed to guide policymakers, practitioners, and market actors in reducing food loss and improving nutrition through market-driven approaches.

At the event in Nairobi, TechnoServe brought together researchers, government officials, donors, and private sector leaders to discuss NutriSave’s evidence and experiences, including the International Food Policy Research Institute, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and EDI Global, which shared research results that pinpoint the locations of losses and highlight effective intervention opportunities.

The study noted that evidence and implementation learnings are poised to inform future investments, policies, and strategies aimed at creating a more efficient, regenerative food system in Kenya—one that reduces food loss, enhances nutrition, and unlocks economic opportunities for millions of people.

The persistent challenge of closing Kenya's nutrition gap while reducing food loss signifies not just a crucial social necessity but also a substantial economic prospect for the country's advancement.