• Nutritionists says amaranthus green leafy vegetable is more nutritious in terms of iron content compared to spinach.
• They say indigenous foods and vegetables have been forgotten and are seen as food for the poor as compared to meat which is preserved as a rich man’s food.
Image: John Kamau
Kenyans have been urged to increase consumption of indigenous food for a healthier diet.
Irene Kimani, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Kenya, nutrition team lead, said indigenous foods play a key role in contributing to healthy diets and reducing non-communicable diseases.
She said there is lack of knowledge around the nutrient content of some of the indigenous foods hence the need to raise awareness on their nutritional value.
She spoke during a media briefing on the National Dialogue meeting on indigenous food and nutrition that will be held next week.
“People have seen the impacts that some of these unhealthy foods have in terms of non-communicable diseases and increase in blood pressure,"Kimani said.
"The dialogue that we are having next week will not just be about consuming indigenous foods but will also raise awareness about indigenous foods, and their contribution to healthy diets and reducing non-communicable diseases.”
She said there is a need to look at various areas to sustainably address malnutrition in the country.
Kimani singled out amaranthus green leafy vegetable locally known as mchicha in Swahili, terere in Kikuyu, lidodo in Luhya and ododo in Luo as being more nutritious in terms of iron content compared to spinach.
She said some of the indigenous foods and vegetables have been forgotten and are seen as food for the poor as compared to meat which is seen as a rich man’s food.
“For example, cowpea seeds which are popular in some of the Kenyan communities are somewhat associated with poverty while indeed they are a good plant source of protein,” Kimani said.
Andrew Egala, national secretary Scaling up Nutrition Business Network, said there is a challenge in global malnutrition, nutrition deficiency and chronic diseases.
According to Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, 18 per cent of children are stunted, 28 per cent of Kenyans are obese, 38.9 per cent of women are affected by anaemia and the iron deficiency in children is more than 16 per cent.
“This means we are not a healthy nation. This is a problem and where there is a problem it means there is an opportunity. This can only be taken up by the private sector in partnership with researchers, academicians, developing partners and the government,” he said.
Egala said it costs the government about Sh1.4 billion to address the problem of malnutrition and under-malnutrition at the household level.
The overall effect of this on health, education and production is Sh73.4 billion which is 6.9 per cent of the GDP.
USAID-funded Feed the Future Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems (KCDMS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the private sector will next week hold the National Dialogue on increasing consumption of indigenous food.
The meeting will focus on increasing availability, access, affordability and consumption of safe indigenous foods for healthier diets in Kenya.
Dr Robert Mwadime, Chief of Party KCDMs said in Kenya, despite positive political and economic growth, challenges such as food insecurity, weak agrifood value chains, economic disparities and environmental vulnerability persist.
He said the National Dialogue dubbed, 'Indigenous Foods for Health and Wealth' will focus on the role of indigenous foods in promoting healthier diets, market information systems, and public-private partnerships for improved production and market access.
This is in addition to promoting indigenous foods and consumer engagement, it will also look at the role of the private sector in enhancing food safety awareness, innovative financing mechanisms, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and research and development of indigenous foods will be highlighted.
“The National Dialogue aims to define and catalyse the transformation of indigenous food systems for food security and climate resilience. It will also explore the private sector's role in enhancing agrifood processing, safety, and awareness for indigenous foods,” Mwadime said.
The meeting will also showcase best practices, solutions and policy recommendations for reducing post-harvest losses and improving market access.