There is a growing consumer demand for organic food, says lobby

 There is a growing demand for consumption of organic food in the country. 

Mary Irungu, the programme officer for Participatory Ecological Landuse Management-PELUM Kenya has said it is high time for the country to have supportive policy framework for the adoption and promotion of agroecology.

"This will help to increase production of safe food and also enhance resilience of smallholder farmers and the actors within the value chain, to ensure the demand is met," Irungu said.

The need for healthy eating for many Kenyans due to underlying health conditions or change in lifestyle has increased the demand for organic food.

This has seen establishment of organic markets and restaurants especially within Nairobi and the neighbouring counties.

Organic food, according to the UN, is food grown or farmed without the use of artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified foods.

Peter Wainaina, a resident of Kiambaa in Kiambu county says he is a certified organic farmer with the Organic Consumers Alliance. The organisation's main focus is to promote and create awareness on the health benefits of consuming organic foods.  

Wainaina grows vegetables and fruits and at moment he is consuming his produce and selling the surplus to the locals as there is huge demand.

“I started organic farming in 2019 once I realised the huge demand for healthy eating. Going forward, my target is organic markets within Nairobi and its environs,” he said.

The growing demand for organic foodstuff has led to the establishment of restaurants in Nairobi which include the Bridges Organic located within Nairobi's Central Business District. 

Suzanne Gathitu, the sales and marketing manager at the Bridges Organic Restaurant, says she always ensures the day’s supplies are delivered. 

She says the restaurant is unique in that they sell only organic food that has been produced by certified organic farmers across the country.

“When somebody wants to become our supplier, we ensure that they are registered organic farmers. We visit their farms and test the soil, look at the growing process and ensure that they are certified,” Gathitu said.

She assured that the food they sell is free from pesticide and chemical additives and is non-GMO, adding that how the food is cooked also makes a lot of difference to maintain its nutrient.

“We only bake and grill. We do not fry our food because when you fry, that removes the nutrients. It is possible to live a healthy life style even when you are within Nairobi where there are many restaurants selling junk food,” she said.

She adds that the food is affordable and that the myth that organic food is expensive is not true as you can get a plate of fish, beef or kienyenji chicken, which are all organically produced  between Sh600 and Sh900.

“People says organic food is expensive hence for the rich people and it is boring food," she said.

"Young people want to have their burgers and fries or eat food with species but we are trying to break this myth. The food is not expensive at all, you can have a vegetarian meal for as low as Sh400.” 

She says the concept was started after the proprietor Ann Mbugua, a former lawyer, realised that many of her family members and friends had many healthy problems such as diabetes, heart condition, cancer and high blood pressure.

“She wanted to find a solution to this growing problem and she came across this concept where you can have organic restaurant that that can cater for people with lifestyle disease. That is how restaurant was born in 2006."

Mbugua underwent a course on organic farming so that by the time she opened the restaurant, she was well aware of the process of growing and procuring organic food.

“Once she opened the restaurant, people got to know about it by word of mouth, and since them, so many people have become regular customers,” Gathitu said.

She said they are members of the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network, which unites over 2,000 producers, exporters, traders and NGOs and like-minded individuals keen in promoting organic agriculture in Kenya.

They also have an in-house nutritionist who caters to the clients that visit the premise to eat and a client is free to ask the right food for them as per their health condition.

Evelyne Kaburi, the restaurant's nutritionist, said they offer advice and also put people on meal plan.

“This is a space for you to come and maintain your heathy lifestyle. We have meal plans that are able to cater for them to meet their healthy conditions as per the doctor’s recommendation,” Kaburi said.

They also operate a wellness programme that complements the food that they offer.

“We are just a healthy restaurant and that is the unique selling point, not many people know that they are such restaurants within the CBD,” Gathitu said.