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Food Processing

Rural communities in the Kenya are struggling to earn a living out of every market opportunity. This is not always evident since at certain times of the year, markets are flooded with fresh products that can only keep for a number of days before decaying. At such times, farmers are forced to sell their harvest at a throw away price or to let part of it go to waste. Almost 80 percent of the small-scale farmers are women; either single mothers or widowed. Land holding capacity ranges from 0.25 to 1 hectare hence the need for intensive farming systems with modern production and food processing technologies.

ERMIS Africa is working with rural communities especially along the Rift Valley where sorghum, millet, groundnuts, beans, maize and peas are some of the important cereals grown. Other perishable agricultural products include tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, kales, potatoes, spinach, peas, and various types of fruits.

Most households depend on income from sale of these products to meet their basic livelihood needs like food, clothing, shelter, health, education among others. The unfavorable local market mechanisms and the characteristic of their products (short storage time) contribute to trapping small-scale farmers in poverty.

With this situation on the ground, ERMIS Africa has seen the need to conduct trainings on food processing technologies with women in rural set-ups to help improve their nutritional and food security status and thereby contributing to economic growth of disadvantaged rural families.

The Food processing initiatives aim at:

• Improving the nutritional food status of technologically disadvantaged rural families.
• Mitigating food shortage and making agricultural products available for market when prices are favorable.
• Enhancing economic empowerment of rural women.
• Enhancing women’s’ technical capacity through training in food management and preservation.

How you can participate in these projects

You may participate in improving the livelihoods of rural families by partnering/collaborating with ERMIS Africa in delivering trainings on food processing or providing technologies towards the same.