Food Security Ep 41: What is Driving Food Insecurity in Kenya and How are We Fixing It?

On a global scale, the 2030 Development Agenda pushes all countries to combat hunger, establish food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. To attain these goals, various challenges must be addressed. Globally, the number of undernourished individuals is unacceptably high, at approximately 821 million.

This situation is set to worsen as the global population grows to 9.7 billion by 2050, present and emerging food supply constraints, shifting consumption patterns, and the anticipated impact of climate change. These numbers are staggering.

Food security goes beyond just having enough food on your plate. It’s about ensuring every individual has reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to lead a healthy life. According to the Kenya Food Security Act (2017), food security hinges on four pillars: adequacy, stability, accessibility, and safety. But why does this matter to you?

If you are in Kenya, you have probably felt the pinch of rising food prices or experienced malnutrition issues, especially in rural areas. These challenges are not just statistics; they are realities affecting over 14.5 million Kenyans—almost 32% of the population, who live below the food poverty line, data shows. Understanding what food security entails is the first step to being part of the solution.

Why Are So Many Kenyans Food Insecure?

Despite being a basic human right, food security remains elusive for millions in Kenya. Persistent hunger and malnutrition are amplified by systemic issues like population growth, urbanization, and climate change. The country’s agricultural output, especially maize, the staple crop has struggled to keep up with demand. In 2023, the production volume of maize in Kenya increased to 47.6 million bags, up from 34.3 million bags in the previous year 2022, (Natalie Cowling Dec 3, 2024) which indicated an increase of roughly 38.8 percent.

Maize production is projected at 75 million bags in 2024, boosted by the government's fertilizer subsidy program and favorable weather conditions.

The numbers are promising but in arid and semi-arid regions like Turkana, where food poverty rates soar to 66.1% according to Kenya Poverty Report 2022, recurrent droughts exacerbate the problem. These areas also face challenges like poor infrastructure and lack of access to markets, further straining food availability.

Away from climate impact, purchasing power has been on a downward trend as well due to the increase in food prices in Kenya which has led to food insecurity for many households. Urban and peri-urban areas are the most affected. You might be asking, how Does Urbanization Impact Your Plate?

Urbanization might promise economic growth, but it is taking a toll on food choices and supply dynamics. Urban residents now spend more of their income on food, leaving less for other essentials.

Moreover, urbanization shifts dietary habits. With more people favoring processed foods over traditional staples, health risks like diabetes and obesity are on the rise. Did you know the prevalence of diabetes among urban dwellers in Kenya is nearly four times higher than in rural areas? This dietary shift also drives demand for high-value foods, impacting the affordability of staple crops.

What Role Does Climate Change Play in Your Food Supply?

Climate change isn’t a distant threat; it’s already disrupting agriculture in Kenya. Unpredictable rainfall patterns and prolonged droughts reduce crop yields and increase livestock mortality.

For instance, post-harvest losses, often due to poor storage and weather-related damages—account for up to 30% of Kenya’s food production. When you experience crop failure or your crops get swept by floods your yields will be low.

The situation can worsen with rapid growth strains resources, leading to land fragmentation and overexploitation of agricultural areas due to population growth. In rural regions, smaller landholdings reduce productivity affecting the yields and source of livelihoods. This forces you to dig into your pockets to buy more food for the household, affecting meeting other competing needs.

What are the Solutions in Place for you?

Improving food security is not just the government’s responsibility; it’s a collective effort starting from the household level. A cornerstone of FSPN Africa’s approach is its embrace of digital solutions. It is leaping tackling of the realities mentioned above through various collaborative initiatives and innovative digital solutions that focus on bridging gaps in knowledge.

As a smallholder farmer, we provide you access to information on regenerative farming advisory that enhances climate-resilient. Using our platform, you can get weather updates that can help you plan better and timely. By doing so, this is not only helping you increase productivity but also enabling them to adapt to changing environmental conditions and transition from subsistence to sustainable agriculture

These tools like the Shamba Calendar empower you with information to make better decisions, access markets, and improve your incomes. Additionally, you will plan for the market, be equipped with innovative storage solutions and learn the best practices to minimize losses. However, more funding resources need to be invested to increase access to the service, but remains a challenge, limiting the reach of such innovative solutions to those who need them the most.

Moreover, our work extends to promoting sustainable nutrition choices and consumption of indigenous foods. This is demonstrated through training on business development and scaling of innovations and by the youths and women who are changing your perception of such foods. The innovations have so far brought in new ways of making healthy snacks, food products, new meal preparation recipes, food preservation and income generation opportunities from farm to fork.

Kenya’s future food security and Africa depend on collaborations, increased investment in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and innovations. FSPN Africa’s efforts highlight the potential of collaborative initiatives and innovation in addressing food security challenges and is open to more purpose-led partnerships to combat hunger. Whether you are a farmer, policymaker, or consumer, you have a role to play. By supporting sustainable agriculture, and adapting to climate change, we can work towards a food-secure Kenya and Africa where you can thrive.

For more information, contact info@fspnafrica.org.