Turning surplus into sustenance: Using digital innovation to transform food banking
Food and nutrition insecurity remain critical challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Kenya, where over 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet and one in five Africans are undernourished (SOFI, 2024).
- agricultural research
- food
- Digital innovation
- food environment
Turning surplus into sustenance: Using digital innovation to transform food banking
Food and nutrition insecurity remain critical challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Kenya, where over 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet and one in five Africans are undernourished (SOFI, 2024).
These challenges are compounded by food loss and waste (FLW), with approximately one-third of global food production lost or wasted, contributing to food insecurity, economic losses, and environmental degradation, including greenhouse gas emissions.
While millions of people struggle to access nutritious meals, tonnes of edible food are discarded every day across farms, markets, pack houses, processors and retail outlets. In Kenya's urban informal markets, an estimated 40–60% of fruits and vegetables are lost due to poor storage, inadequate infrastructure and inefficient supply chains. These are precisely the foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed to combat malnutrition.