This archive report was first published on 23 August 2020.
Kenya's food culture is changing, thanks to a United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) project that aims to reduce food waste by supplying 'ugly' fruits and vegetables to schools.
Launched in 2019, the innovative program has seen three schools in Nairobi benefit from large consignments of rejected produce that would otherwise have ended up in dumpsites.
For the project, two companies that export produce from Kenya to the European market were tasked with supplying 'ugly' fruits and vegetables to a Nairobi-based catering company contracted by WFP.
The catering company makes various meals which it then supplies to the three schools. The WFP revealed that, in the future, it planned on facilitating on-site preparation so that schools make the meals themselves.
Importantly, the 'ugly' fruits and vegetables offer all the nutritional advantages despite various blemishes that diminish their aesthetic appeal.
According to the WFP, every day in Kenya, at least 83,000kg of produce is rejected for being off-putting to consumers. Produce for the export market is particularly affected due to the high standards.
“Without school lunches, these children would end up on the streets. The green vegetables are a welcome addition - the food is more nutritious,” said Evelyn Mudenyo, a director at Little Bells, one of the primary schools benefiting from the project.
“Whether in poverty or in plenty, children should go to school,” she maintained.
It is hoped that the program will be expanded not just in Kenya but further beyond, in a bid to ensure that food no longer goes to waste.
“One thing we know for sure is that the students like the vegetables. Now, we have to figure out how to harness this wonderful source of cheap, fresh food that is being wasted, in order to supply school meals in an affordable and sustainable way,” said Nairobi-based WFP nutritionist Dina Aburmishan.
