Improving food and nutrition security outcomes in East Africa. What role for universities?

1. Improving food and nutrition
security outcomes in East Africa:
what role for universities: status of
food and nutrition security in Kenya
Dr. Newton Nyairo
Dr. Eric Bett
Kenyatta University

2. Country Facts
Statistic 2015
Population, total (Millions) 43
Population growth (annual %) 2.5
GDP (current US$ (Billions) 35
GDP per capita (current US$ (Billions) 1247
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) 54.8
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) 54.2
Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24) 92.7
Source: Kenya Economic Survey and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

3. Food Security Status in Kenya

4. Magnitude & Severity of Chronic
Malnutrition
• Over 10 million people in Kenya suffer
from chronic food insecurity and poor
nutrition.
• 3-6 million people require emergency
food assistance at any given time.
• Nearly 30% of Kenya’s children are
undernourished with 35% stunted.
• Micronutrient deficiencies (Iron, Vitamin
A, Zinc and Iodine ) are widespread, with
emerging rise in rickets.

5. Double Burden of Malnutrition:
Overweight and Obesity
Emerging conditions and diseases known as non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) Hypertension,
Diabetes, Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases due to a rise
in Overweight and Obesity (40% in women and 22% in
children)
Causes:
Shift to increased consumption of highly refined
foods with added Sugars, Salts & Fats
Sedentary lifestyle and reduced physical activity

6. Impacts of Malnutrition
 Early and premature deaths
 Increased health care costs at national and
household level
 Little/No savings for investment and poverty
cycle continues
 Complicates the HIV/AIDS situation in Kenya
 Depresses productivity

7. High Impact Nutrition Interventions in
Kenya
 Improving the nutritional status of women of
reproductive age - nutrition education on
consumption of healthy foods and strengthening
iron and folate supplementation during pregnancy;
 Improving nutritional status of children under five
years - exclusive breastfeeding, timely introduction
of complementary feeding and micronutrient
supplementation;
 Strengthening coordination and partnerships
among key nutrition actors - partners in water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education, health,
and livelihood sectors.
 Prevention and treatment of malnutrition (
moderate and severe acute forms)

8. Policy Environment for Nutrition Improvement:
The National Food and Nutrition Security Policy
This policy provides a close link between food and nutrition
hence key role of agriculture sector
Objectives of the NFNSP:
 To increase the quantity and quality of food available,
accessible and affordable to all Kenyans at all times.
 To achieve good nutrition for optimum health of all
Kenyans.
 To protect vulnerable populations using innovative and
cost-effective safety nets linked to long-term development

9. Key priority areas for the NFNSP
• Food availability and
access
• Food safety, standards
and quality control
• Nutrition improvement
and nutrition security
• School nutrition and
nutrition awareness
programs
• Food and nutrition
security information
• Early warning and
emergency
management
• Institutional and
Implementation
framework

10. Agricultural Sector Development Strategy
2010-2020
 Part of CAADP launched in Kenya in 2005.
 Agriculture key driver for delivering 10 % annual
economic growth rate envisaged in the vision
2030
 Recognizes food security as an integral part of
agriculture
 Emphasis on other enabling factors such as
infrastructure, non-tariff barriers (NTBs) etc.

11. Strategy for Revitalization of Agriculture
2003-2007
 Programs to help farmers: Fertilizer
subsidy program (on and off) – FIRE-
FIGHTING!
 National Accelerated Agricultural
Input Access Project
- Kilimo plus -Voucher system for seeds
and fertilizer (Insurance embedded)

12. Cont..
 Kilimo biashara–Low cost-cost credit to
purchase inputs -with support from AGRA
and IFAD)
 Njaa Marufuku-supports the up-
scaling of private sector food security
innovations through Public Private
Partnerships (PPP) to undertake food
security projects –with support from
FAO and MDG Secretariat).

13. KENYA NATIONAL NUTRITION ACTION PLAN
2012- 2017-Key Priority Areas
• Improve the nutritional status
of women of reproductive age
(15-49 years)
• Improve the nutritional status
of children >5
• Reduce the prevalence of
micronutrient deficiencies in
the population
• Prevent deterioration of
nutritional status and save
lives of vulnerable groups in
emergencies
• Improve access to quality
curative nutrition services
• Improve prevention,
management and control of
diet related Non
Communicable Diseases
(NCDs)
• Improve nutrition in schools,
public and private
institutions
• Improve nutrition knowledge
attitudes and practices
• Strengthen the nutrition
surveillance, monitoring and
evaluation systems
• Enhance evidence-based
decision-making through
research
• Strengthen coordination
and partnerships among key
nutrition actors

14. Potential to achieving Nutrition Goals
Guiding Documents
• Kenya Vision 2030
• Kenya National Health
Sector Strategic plan
• National Food and
Nutrition Security policy
• National Nutrition Action
Plan
• At global level The
MDGs and Scaling Up
Nutrition framework for
action
Guiding Principles
The Constitution of
Kenya 2010
• 43 (1 ) (C) Every
person has the right to
be free from hunger
and to have adequate
food of acceptable
quality
• 53(1) (C) Every child
has the right to basic
nutrition, shelter and
health care

15. Underlying causes of Food & Nutrition
Insecurity
 Growing population and endemic poverty -56% of
population living in absolute poverty (53% of the
poor live in rural areas, 47% in urban)
 60% of so-called farmers are net buyers of food.
(Rockefeller Foundation, 2010)
 Low agricultural productivity, exacerbated by land
degradation and insecure land tenure
 HIV/AIDS prevalence
 Skewed Income distribution: Top 10% control 42% of
total income; bottom 10% control <1%
 Increasing frequency and severity of droughts

16. What role for universities in FNS?
 Position itself decisively to fulfill the CAADP
agenda
 Universities as centers/factories of can
potentially contribute knowledge useful in
tackling the food insecurity challenges.
 Agribusiness innovations that will deal with food
security and in dealing with the overarching
CAADP agenda.
 Working closely with the community in dealing
with challenges at the community level – closer
interaction that can mitigate FNS challenges

17. Kenyatta University Profile
VISION STATEMENT
 "To be a dynamic, an inclusive and a competitive centre
of excellence in teaching, learning, research and service
to humanity. ”
 MISSION STATEMENT
 "To provide quality education and training, promote
scholarship, service, innovation and creativity and
inculcate moral values for sustainable individual and
societal development.”
 IDENTITY STATEMENT
 "A community of scholars committed to the generation
and dissemination of knowledge and cultivation of
wisdom for the welfare of society.”

18. Kenyatta University Teaching Programs
Related to Food Security
 Kenyatta University has 15 Schools and 70
departments
 Out of these two schools directly deal with food
security:
 School of Applied and Human Sciences
 1. BSc. Food and Nutrition
 School of Agriculture and Enterprise
Development
 BSc. Agriculture
 BSc. Agribusiness
 BSc. Agricultural Resource Management

19. Who are the actors in FNS?
 Private sector/industry
 United Nations organizations
 Governments departments – The Ministry of
Agriculture, The Ministry Health, Ministry of
Water and Irrigation
 Donor agencies – USAID, AGRA, Rockefeller
Foundation, IFDC
 National Agricultural Research Center – KALRO,
 CGIAR, ILRI, ICRAF, ICIPE, IFPRI
 Other universities – 30 universities

20. Theater model

21. Results of the audit
AISHE
PLAN
DO
CHECK
1.1 Vision
1.2 Policy
1.3 Communication
1.4 Internal environmental management
2.1 Network
2.2 Expert group
2.3 Staff development plan
2.4 Research, external services
3.1 Profile of the graduate
3.2 Educational methodology
3.3 Role of the teacher
3.4 Student examination
4.1 Curriculum
4.2 Integrated Problem Handling
4.3 Traineeships, graduation
4.4 Speciality
5.1 Appreciation by staff
5.2 Appreciation by students
5.3 Appreciation by professional field
5.4 Appreciation by society
0 1 2 3 4 5

22. Recommendations
 The need to clearly define the profile of the graduate
and to identify the component of food and nutrition
security
 Coordination of efforts by different
actors/stakeholders in dealing with the challenge of
food and nutrition security
 University should begin to work with other
stakeholders – cease being ivory towers in bid to
unleash their full role
 Strengthen teaching of agriculture to focus on food
and nutrition security - improve curricula to address
the core issues

23. MERCI