Farmers turn banana stems waste into wealth

For a long time, bananas have primarily been valued as food, while their thick green stems have been left to rot in the fields.

However, across the country, this perception is changing. The stems that farmers once considered waste are now being transformed into fibre used to produce crafts, textiles, and even sanitary products, opening new income streams and redefining the banana as more than just food.

Samuel Thuo, who, together with Pauline Wangui, co-founded Ziada Solutions, understands this shift well.

Growing up on his family’s banana plantation in Taita Taveta County, Thuo watched his family harvest the fruit and let the stems decay.

He reveals that this routine was disrupted at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused travel restrictions and a lack of markets.

“When Covid-19 struck, we were unable to sell our bananas. We had produced on the farm, but no buyers. We began exploring whether the so-called waste could become an asset,” he recalled.

Thuo spoke at the recent Alternative Fibres Circular Economy dialogue, where national and county leaders, development partners, and private-sector actors gathered in Nairobi to position natural fibres as profitable, scalable value chains. It was sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Thuo’s research led him to Uganda and parts of Asia, where banana stems were already being processed into fibre. This discovery changed the family farm’s trajectory.

Three years later, he describes the decision to pursue value addition as one of the best they have made. He disclosed that removing stems from the farm has also reduced pest infestations that once thrived on rotting plant matter.

Currently, Ziada Solutions processes about three tonnes of banana stems daily, yielding approximately 30 kilogrammes of fibre.

Thuo explained that they also benefited from training at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) and were incubated under the Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP) World Bank project and trained in papermaking and sanitary pad production.

“That training motivated us and gave us the push to commercialise our work,” he said. Caroline Kosgei, an agricultural value chain expert at FAO, said the push towards alternative fibres is part of a broader global transition.

“As the world moves towards a circular economy, one that minimises waste and increases resource efficiency, alternative natural fibres offer an entry point,” she explained.

She said, in Nyamira County, the banana value chain has demonstrated the potential of a zero-waste system. Fibre, food, compost and by-products can all be derived from the same crop.

The broader goal, Kosgei said, is to move from ‘aid to trade’ by ensuring farmers have access to inputs, markets and systems that support international quality standards.

She said agri-food systems currently contribute about 31 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing synthetic fibres with biodegradable alternatives like banana fibre can help lower pollution and carbon footprints while extending product lifespans.

“By converting what was previously considered waste into a resource, we reduce pressure on natural resources and improve efficiency,” Kosgei noted.

The national government has also identified textiles and apparel, encompassing banana, sisal, cotton and pineapple fibres, as one of nine priority value chains.

Principal Secretary in the State Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Susan Mang’eni said raw materials are widely available across the country.

“The banana pilot in Nyamira demonstrates that bananas can become an anchor value chain in several counties. We are seeing impressive products that command high prices internationally,” she said.

Mang’eni said the government’s ambition is to move bananas beyond subsistence and kitchen consumption into a fully commercial enterprise that generates sustainable household income.

To support this, County Aggregation and Industrial Parks are being established to consolidate production, attract investors and enable industrial-scale processing. Cold storage facilities built by the MSME Authority aim to reduce post-harvest losses.

Equally important is creating sustainable market models that ensure farmers are paid promptly. Under the proposed system, farmers deliver produce and receive timely payment, while off-takers and youth-led enterprises handle processing and value addition.

Young people, Mang’eni observed, are especially well positioned to drive this transformation. They are technologically savvy, connected to global fashion trends and capable of marketing products online.

For Anjelicah Wanza, the journey into fibre crafts began almost by accident. As a child, she watched women weave baskets but never saw it as significant.

Years later, after moving to Nairobi and struggling to find employment, she met a mentor who trained her to work with sisal, banana, pineapple and cotton fibres.

“At first, I didn’t take it seriously. But after training, I realised its economic value,” she admits.

Today, she produces baskets, mats, art pieces, dog beds and carpets, collaborating with women in her community who supply raw materials, noting there’s a strong market for the products. Nyamira Governor

Amos Nyaribo said the fibre industry is a powerful tool against youth unemployment.

He revealed that the county government began by distributing tissue-cultured banana seedlings to farmers, building a steady supply base.

While production has grown, demand for both food and fibre remain strong.

“Processing bananas, not only addresses pest challenges but also taps into growing international demand, including in European markets,” Nyaribo says.

He discloses that Nyamira County has also established an ICT hub to train young people, enabling them to earn online, save and eventually invest in ventures such as banana processing.

From farm waste to fashion accessories, from rotting stems to export-ready fibre, the banana’s story is being rewritten.