The impact of COVID-19 on the food system in Nairobi

There have been far reaching effects on Nairobi’s economy following the COVID-19 crisis, with the informal sector being the most severely affected. Food accounts for almost half of the trade in the city’s informal sector, and the containment measures have been disproportionately felt by farmers, market sellers and consumers.

Farmers were unable to access inputs from outside Nairobi and traders experienced a significant drop in sales, while the urban poor consumers lost livelihoods, exposing them to increased levels of food insecurity. The crisis further aggravated the higher risks faced by vulnerable persons even in normal times.

So how are these farmers, traders, consumers and vulnerable persons faring during the crisis? To seek answers and insights, Mazingira Institute with support from the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE), conducted case studies with 29 respondents from these four demographics.