Leveraging school feeding and small enterprises to promote access to healthy and sustainable food among the urban poor in Kenya and Rwanda

 

Food insecurity characterizes African food systems, which are currently unsustainable. Kenya and Rwanda are undergoing a nutritional transition, with increased consumption of unhealthy/energy-dense meals and low intakes of healthier foods contributing to high levels of malnutrition, particularly among children. Both the Kenyan and Rwandan governments are increasing their focus on school feeding programs as a strategy to promoting food security and nutrition. Smallholder farmers and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have an important role in shaping food patterns and consumption choices. However, currently, MSEs and smallholder farmers rarely benefit from school feeding programs, because they are not adequately included in the existing consultation mechanisms, and thus their potential in procurement is not harnessed.

This project will promote access to and consumption of healthy and sustainable food in schools in Kenya and Rwanda by promoting its demand and enhancing the role of MSEs and smallholder farmers in its provision through increased engagement, capacity building and advocacy. This includes increased understanding of demand, access and consumption of healthy and sustainable food in urban poor areas in Nairobi; increased participation of Nairobi’s MSEs in decision-making forums regarding provision of healthy and sustainable food; increased inclusion of MSEs and smallholder farmers in the procurement policies for healthy and sustainable food in school feeding programs in Kenya and Rwanda; and increased supply of healthy and sustainable food by MSEs.

This project will be funded through the Catalyzing Change for Health and Sustainable Food Systems initiative, a co-funding partnership between IDRC and the Rockefeller Foundation.