Climate change and the effects of a growing global population and changing diets are driving up the demand for food, but production is struggling to keep up as crop yields level off in many parts of the world. Meeting current and future food needs will depend on two concurrent approaches:

1. Altering individual and population dietary choices
2. Developing agricultural and production practices that reduce environmental impacts and conserve resources, while meeting food and nutrition needs.

Climate change’s negative impacts are already being experienced in Kenya, in forms of reduced yields and more frequent extreme weather events – especially longer rainy seasons – affecting crops and livestock alike.

At the same time, more than 2 billion people in the world suffer from “hidden hunger” – a form of undernutrition where the lack of vitamins and minerals means that while people may not feel hunger human cells are not functioning normally. Its effects can be devastating, leading to mental impairment, poor health, low productivity, even death. Kenya is classified as a low-income food-deficit country where 1.82 million children under-5 years old, 26% of the total population, are suffering from chronic malnutrition.

In response to this, Inclusive Business Partners partnered up with Hidden in Grains and Kenyan company Stawi in 2019 to produce climate smart, nutritious grain-based food for low income families in Kenya. By combining ancient grains and new techniques, new breakfast products were designed and samples made which were tested among consumers in Kenya.

With the project completed, Hidden in Grains and Stawi are now working on a partnership agreement to start producing food products for the low-income market in Kenya. Future updates will be published on Hidden in Grains’ website: http://hiddeningrains.se/en/.

For more information about the project, please contact Ana Perez Aponte ana.p.aponte@inclusivebusiness.se

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