Kenya: Launch of the FORQLAB Living Lab
Early 2021, The Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi commissioned a study on opportunities to reduce food losses in Kenya. It was carried out by Wageningen University and Research and looked into mango, avocado and poultry.
The conclusion was that vast volumes of perishable, nutrition dense food products are lost before they reach the market or consumers. Reducing post-harvest losses enhances the efficiency of the food system, reduces waste, minimizes environmental footprint of agricultural production, and makes more food available, accessible and affordable for consumers.
The study inspired a call for proposals for education institutes by the Dutch NWO-SIA fund, which was won by the FORQLAB consortium.
Written by Esther Kapsoot (Van Hall Larenstein) and Wim Goris (NFP).
Food Waste Reduction and Food Quality Living LAB (FORQLAB)
The FORQLAB core partners are Dutch universities of applied sciences Van Hall Larenstein, HAS Den Bosch, Inholland and Aeres. The Kenyan partners are Egerton University and Meru University. FORQLAB has the intention to engage private sector partners and other organisations active in the avocado and dairy sectors.
FORQLAB was formally launched on 3 June 2022 at a hybrid event at the HAS Den Bosch. Esther Kapsoot, a Kenya born lecturer at Van Hall Larenstein and responsible for FORQLAB communications explains:
“The issue is clear: we need to team up for a structural reduction of post-harvest losses and the related food quality issues. That goes for the export of avocados and also for the dairy in the domestic market. The Dutch and Kenya universities will apply a living lab approach, bringing applied research to the chain partners. Together we can find and test technical solutions and tools as well as look into better coordination in the supply chains.”
FORQLAB will focus on the following two areas in cooperation between Dutch and Kenyan partners;
1) Post-harvest management
For many perishable and nutrient-rich food products, the shelf life can be extended. This can be done, among other things, by means of packaging of agricultural products, food processing and value addition and managing the immediate ambient temperature and humidity. Large export-oriented companies have access to and invest in post-harvest management. Yet value-added activities and cost-effective, mid-tech- based, energy-neutral and multifunctional post-harvest management are not widely applied in the Kenyan context. In many cases, the knowledge and technology exist, but its practical orientation and application in a specific context is lacking.
The FORQLAB project will therefore focus on practice-oriented research to provide additional insights and action perspectives with regard to:
- market development and potential for mid-tech post-harvest management options at various levels, including revenue model and business operations, with a focus on local implementation;
- applicability and feasibility of small-scale context-specific mid-tech post-harvest management and food processing technologies for local markets using local experience in commercial markets;
- the revenue model and cost efficiency of post-harvest management technology and its potential local impact on issues such as food waste, food availability, food security and food prices.
2) Food safety, quality assurance and traceability
In the Kenyan food system, large volumes of agricultural products circulate within informal and local markets. It is often not known what origin a particular agricultural product has and which production guidelines have been followed. Transparent mechanisms and ICT applications to map the traceability and quality assurance of agricultural products from farm to point of sale offer the possibility to link agricultural products from small-scale and organised farmers to a market that may be willing to pay added value for a safe, nutritious and fair product.
The FORQLAB project will also carry out practice-oriented research to provide additional insights and action perspectives with regard to:
- The technical feasibility and social acceptance governance and revenue model for ICT applications, that make traceability and food safety transparent, and offer options to better link organised, small-scale producers to a specific market with added value;
- Proof of concept for service provision with an ICT application for organized, small-scale farmers.
For more information about FORQLAB, please contact:
Marco Verschuur: marco.verschuur@hvhl.nl
Esther Kapsoot: esther.kapsoot@hvhl.nl
For more information about this sector or any other agricultural questions feel free to contact us via nai-lnv@minbuza.nl. For the latest updates on activities, new articles and more follow us on twitter on @NLAgiKenya and subscribe to our newsletter by sending us an email. In case of any non-agriculture questions for the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi see, this website for contact information.