This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
Kenya's horticulture industry has been facing numerous challenges, including food safety issues, which threaten its sustainability and market access.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 220 million children contract diarrhoeal diseases and 96,000 people die annually from the consumption of unsafe food.
Existing data on outbreaks and prevalence of foodborne diseases show that almost half of all foodborne diseases are caused by pathogenic micro-organisms.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards, in collaboration with industry players, drafted and gazetted the KS1758 Horticulture Industry- Code of practice - Part 2: Fruits and Vegetables in 2016.
A partnership of key players in the sector is seeking the establishment of a model structure to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the KS 1758 standard through an eight-month pilot project.
The mechanism will aim to have structures in place for effective coordination between the national and county governments and the private sector to ensure that value chain players are compliant with KS1758.
Wambui Mbarire, CEO of the Retail Traders Association of Kenya, noted: 'The horticulture industry in Kenya has for many years been regulated by a myriad of both public and private tools.'
