Food Waste Reduction and Food Quality Living LAB (FORQLAB)

Food Waste Reduction and Food Quality Living LAB (FORQLAB) is a research project of the professorship Climate Smart Dairy Value Chains.

Rationale

In Kenya, huge amounts of food losses occur before agricultural produce reaches consumers. This impacts negatively on the environment, national economy and food security. Food losses affect smallholders relatively more than commercial actors along the value chain, such as input suppliers, farmers, traders, processors, exporters, distributers. Due to food losses, farmers revenues will be reduced, the payback period for new investments will be enlarged, but also influences the food availability and affordability.

Project contribution

The project consortium contribute to structural reduction of food losses and improvement of food quality in the Kenyan dairy and avocado value chains. The project connects Kenyan avocado producers with Dutch fruit importers or dairy producers with local business supporters. The research areas are located in the more developed central highlands of Kenya and less developed counties in western Kenya. The applied research will be implemented by students of the six involved universities, two in Kenya and 4 universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Knowledge agendas will be composed around the involved cooperative societies, while results will be shared in those ‘living labs’.

Project outcome

Projected outcomes are two knowledge exchange platforms supported by applied plans of action; investment plans for data management (ICT) and other technical solutions; recommendations for chain governance performance; study material for universities and TVETs and training packages for chain partners.

Name professor: Robert Baars
Lecturer-researchers: Marco Verschuur (project leader), Esther Kapsoot, Albertien Kijne, Peter Smit
Project timeline: 2022-2024
Project partners: VHL UAS (project management), Aeres Hogeschool, HAS Hogeschool, Inholland, Meru University of Science and Technology, Egerton University, Kaptama Dairy Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ltd., Kitinda Dairy Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ltd., Githunguri Dairy Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ltd., Mt Kenya avocado farmers’ cooperative societies, Nandi Avocado Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ltd., Airflo Kenya Ltd., Satori, Fairtrasa, Special Fruit (Belgium), Pharox, Ante BV, Q-point BV, Greenport West Holland, Netherlands Food Partnership, Agrikom, KALRO, TVET-Authority.

Project partner representatives at the project launch – 3 June 2022