Posted on October, 17, 2018 at 09:01 am
By PAULINE KAIRU
Even as the world strives to achieve zero hunger by 2030, food insecurity, under-nutrition and income inequality remain high in Kenya.
Statistics show that 26 per cent of children under five years suffer from stunted growth and 11 per cent underweight.
The statistics contained in the recent report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation released at the celebrations of the World Food Day on Tuesday also shows that 12 per cent of Kenyan households have unacceptable levels of food consumption.
UNDERWEIGHT CHILDREN
With such findings, is the quest to achieve zero hunger in Kenya by 2030 plausible?
The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation is leading government efforts to implement Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2).
The ministry notes in its report, that food insecurity, under-nutrition and income inequality remain high despite rapid economic growth.
While the proportion of under-weight children under five decreased from 22.3 per cent in 1990 to 11 per cent in 2014, the proportion of the population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption was still below the recommended level.
DROUGHT SEASON
From 2010 to 2030, it is estimated that under-nutrition will cost Kenya $38.3 billion (Sh3.8trillion) in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to losses in workforce productivity.
According to Chief Administrative Secretary at the ministry, Dr Andrew Tuimur, World Food Day is currently supporting 1.3 million people who are food insecure every year.
“This is the group that the government is saying should be able to have enough food so that we don’t have to distribute food now and then,” he said.
Dr Tuimur said: “In 2017, 3.4 million Kenyans were exposed to severe food insecurity. The number of food insecure Kenyans ranges between 2.5 to 3.4 million during the drought seasons," adding, “With such figures is zero hunger by 2030 achievable? With concerted efforts it can be done. We produce a lot of food. It is just that a lot of it get wasted and does not get to those that need it. The county governments should be able to support their people in dealing with the problem of food waste.”
POST-HARVEST WASTE
Kenya loses about 30 per cent of what comes from the farms to post-harvest waste. According to the speakers there is also need to help the farmers eliminate post-harvest losses to bridge the gap from both ends that is production and accessibility. Rural households in Kenya were found to be food insecure than urban households at 14 per cent and nine per cent respectively with almost one in 10 rural households having low dietary diversity.
However, food security is not just a rural problem, in Nairobi 19,000 households experience poor food consumption, while 77,000 households experience borderline levels.
According to the Towards Zero Hunger Strategic Review 2018, which takes stock of the current status and trends in food, nutrition and agricultural in Kenya, food and nutrition insecurity is one of the major challenges currently affecting development in Kenya and is closely linked to the high level of poverty in the country.
FOOD INSECURE
One third of Kenyans live below the poverty line ($1.90 per day) according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to World Food Program Kenya country director, Ms Annalisa Conte, food security includes good nutrition and quality.
Most of the hunger prone areas are located in Arid and Semi Arid Lands (Asals). Turkana stands out as food insecure county compared to others — almost one in five households (19 per cent) have poor levels of food consumption and a further 24 per cent of households have borderline levels of food consumption.
The next most food insecure counties (by Food Consumption Score) are Samburu, Tana River, Baringo, West Pokot, Busia and Siaya, respectively.
SLOW PROGRESS
The four arid counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa and Wajir are relatively food secure — because their high milk consumption inflates their score.
Kenya Vision 2030 and its second Medium-Term Plan (MTP II) 2013 — 2017 outlines agriculture as a key driver of an anticipated 10 per cent annual economic growth.
The ministry emphasises that sustained agricultural growth is important in attaining the targets of SDG 2 as well as facilitating the attainment of the other SDGs.
According to the ministry document, households headed by women are more likely to be food insecure than those headed by men — 16 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
REDUCING POVERTY
The government acknowledges the slow progress towards food and nutrition security.
According to World Food Program Kenya country director Ms Annalisa Conte, “There is a partial overlap between poverty and food insecurity. In the past there has never really been a focus in achieving zero hunger, we have only been talking about reducing poverty which is related to food security.”
According to her, those in the rural areas are also ending up buying food with many going hungry because they cannot afford to buy food.
The big question remains whether Kenya will achieve zero hunger by 2030.
Source: Daily Nation