Empowering Youth and Transforming Communities through Job Creation and Nutritious Beans in Kenya

The ‘Nutritious Bean Products for Decent Employment for Youth in Kenya’ project empowers young people – especially young women – by creating jobs in bean production, processing and sales. Led by a consortium including Cherubet Foods, the initiative has created and improved over 600 jobs, promoting economic resilience and youth inclusion in Kenya’s agricultural sector.

Kenya imports up to 30% of the beans it consumes annually from neighboring countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. This reliance on imports results in a loss of potential job opportunities within Kenya’s domestic bean production and value chain. The low adoption of biofortified bean varieties with high levels of iron and zinc (HIB), low yields, and unstructured bean markets make it difficult for processors to access enough grain for processing.