Study examines the impact of COVID-19 on informal milk markets and household food security in Nairobi

A study published in the April 2023 issue of Current Developments in Nutrition has put forth new empirical evidence on the effect of COVID-19 pandemic-related changes in behaviour and government restrictions in Kenya on dairy supply chains and urban and peri-urban household food access.

The study focused on milk sold in informal markets and examined changes in milk sales, consumption of dairy products, and food insecurity among low-income households in urban and peri-urban Nairobi following the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya in March 2020.

The study was conducted by scientists affiliated to the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Livestock Research Institute and the University of Greenwich.

The researchers started by collecting baseline data on milk sales and consumption from informal milk vendors and their customers in late 2019.

Later, two follow-up telephone surveys were conducted among the same milk vendors and customers in July and September–October 2020, respectively.

The first survey found that the volume of milk sold by the vendors had dropped by 30% compared to the baseline level and the volume of informally sold milk consumed by households had reduced by 23%.

After the second survey, the volumes of milk sold and consumed were found to have increased but were lower than the volumes observed a year earlier in the same season.

The study also found that the rate of food insecurity increased by 16 and 11 percentage points in the first and second surveys, respectively, compared to the baseline.

These findings suggest that the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related government-instituted restrictions on movement to control the spread of the disease were associated with a decrease in the supply and consumption of milk from informal markets in Nairobi, and a decrease in the food security of peri-urban consumers.

The authors of the study therefore recommend that in times of crisis, short-term relief efforts and longer-term social protection policies be implemented to ensure that low-income households can maintain their food purchasing power and the quality of their diets.

“Such policies would also have positive effects on food vendors, as the demand for highly nutritious products would be maintained,” they add.

Additionally, movement restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 should be designed to minimize disruptions to food supply chains, in particular of fresh foods, which are more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

This will ensure an adequate supply of nutritious products in the market and protect the incomes of people who depend on informal markets for their livelihoods.

Citation
Alonso, S., Angel, M.D., Muunda, E., Kilonzi, E., Palloni, G., Grace, D. and Leroy, J.L. 2023. Consumer demand for milk and the informal dairy sector amidst COVID-19 in Nairobi, Kenya. Current Developments in Nutrition 7(4): 100058.

Photo credit: Pouring boiled milk in Waithaka, Nairobi, Kenya (ILRI/Shadrack Isingoma)

 

Study on milk purchase and consumption in low-income households in Kenya highlights the importance of the informal dairy sector

Favourable policies that promote the availability and affordability of milk sold by informal markets can help to increase milk consumption and boost the nutrition of children in low-income households in Kenya, a new study reports.

The study, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (Feb 2023), identified the patterns of household milk purchase and consumption in peri-urban low-income households in Dagoretti, Nairobi, with emphasis on young children and milk bought from informal markets.

The study also sought to estimate the key determinants of dairy purchase and consumption patterns to identify areas of leverage to increase household milk consumption.

Milk plays an important role in the growth and development of children. In Kenya, it is one of the most widely produced and consumed animal food products but often consumed in small amounts among children of low-income families.

The study found that 98% of the sampled households purchased unprocessed fresh milk at least once during the seven days prior to the survey, while only 17% bought packaged pasteurised milk.

The amount of unpackaged milk purchased by households was positively and significantly related to household income, the number of children below the age of four years, and the budget for animal food products.

Analysis of milk consumption patterns by children under four years of age revealed that milk and dairy products were more commonly consumed as part of dishes than as individual products.

Although informal markets were found to play a key role in meeting the milk needs of children, consumption of milk was below recommended levels.

Because of the association of income and milk intake, the authors of the study call for the government to support the dairy sector with policies that promote the availability and affordability of milk.

This is especially so for the informal dairy sector that the majority of Kenyan low-income families rely on to meet their dietary and nutritional needs.

Citation

Muunda, E., Mtimet, N., Bett, E., Wanyoike, F. and Alonso, S. 2023. Milk purchase and consumption patterns in peri-urban low-income households in Kenya. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 7: 1084067.

Photo credit: Customers at a milk bar in Ndumbuini in Kabete, Nairobi (ILRI/Paul Karaimu)

 

EatSafe project to host webinar on food safety innovations for traditional markets

The World Health Organization estimates that every year, 600 million people become ill and many die because of unsafe food. Up to 38% of those affected are children under five years of age, and 53% were people living in low- and middle-income countries.

To address this gap, the Evidence and Action Towards Safe, Nutritious Food (EatSafe) project recently organized an EatSafe Innovation Challenge aimed at encouraging the development of food safety solutions or safer food products towards improving food safety in traditional markets where most consumers in low- and middle-income countries access their food.

On Tuesday 13 December 2022, the EatSafe project will host a webinar to highlight the importance of innovative solutions in food safety, and their applicability to low- and middle-income countries, specifically in traditional markets and along the food value chain.

This webinar is the second part of a series on innovative approaches to food safety. The first webinar, held in January 2022, featured consumer-centred approaches to food safety research.

In this second webinar, speakers will share on the application, implementation and practice of innovative solutions for food safety, including highlights from finalists of the EatSafe Innovation Challenge.

Below are details of the hour-long webinar and how to register.

Date: Tuesday 13 December 2022

Time: 0800 hours EST / 1400 hours CET / 1600 hours EAT

Registration link: https://bit.ly/food_safetywebinar 

Speakers

• Delia Grace, Professor of Food Safety Systems, Natural Resources Institute and Joint-appointed Scientist, International Livestock Research Institute
• Helen Weldemichael, CEO, Safe Dish Ethiopia and Assistant Professor, Wolkite University
• Oyeyemi Fadairo, Project Lead, Solarflex Dryers
• Richard Pluke, Chief of Party, EatSafe project

EatSafe is a project of Feed the Future and the United States Agency for International Development.

Photo credit: Fruit and vegetable shop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (University of Florida/Geraldine Klarenberg)

 

New research provides estimates of foodborne disease burden in Burkina Faso and Ethiopia

Foodborne disease is a significant global health problem, with low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected. Given that most fresh animal and vegetable foods in these countries are bought in informal food systems, much of the burden of foodborne disease here is also linked to informal markets.

Developing estimates of the national burden of foodborne disease and attribution to specific food products will inform decision-makers about the size of the problem and motivate action to mitigate risks and prevent illness.

A new research study, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (Nov 2022), provides estimates for the burden of foodborne disease caused by selected hazards in Burkina Faso and Ethiopia and attribution to specific foods.

Country-specific estimates of the burden of disease in 2010 for Campylobacter spp., enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shiga-toxin producing E. coli and non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) and updated to 2017 using data from the Global Burden of Disease study.

Attribution data obtained from WHO were complemented with a dedicated Structured Expert Judgement study to estimate the burden attributable to specific foods. Monte Carlo simulation methods were used to propagate uncertainty.

The burden of foodborne disease in the two countries in 2010 was largely similar to the burden in the region except for higher mortality and disability-adjusted life years due to Salmonella in Burkina Faso.

In both countries, Campylobacter caused the largest number of cases, while Salmonella caused the largest number of deaths and disability-adjusted life years.

In Burkina Faso, the burden of Campylobacter and enterotoxigenic E. coli increased from 2010 to 2017, while the burden of Salmonella decreased.

In Ethiopia, the burden of all hazards decreased. Mortality decreased relative to incidence in both countries.

In both countries, the burden of poultry meat (in disability-adjusted life years) was larger than the burden of vegetables.

In Ethiopia, the burdens of beef and dairy were similar, and somewhat lower than the burden of vegetables.

The burden of foodborne disease by the selected pathogens and foods in both countries was substantial.

Uncertainty distributions around the estimates spanned several orders of magnitude.

This reflects data limitations, as well as variability in the transmission and burden of foodborne disease associated with the pathogens considered.

Citation

Havelaar, A.H., Sapp, A.C., Amaya, M.P., Nane, G.F., Morgan, K.M., Devleesschauwer, B., Grace, D., Knight-Jones, T. and Kowalcyk, B.B. 2022. Burden of foodborne disease due to bacterial hazards associated with beef, dairy, poultry meat, and vegetables in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, 2017. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 6: 1024560.

Photo credit: Fruit and vegetables on sale alongside other food items in a local market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ILRI/Geraldine Klarenberg)

 

New study explores gendered barriers and opportunities in Kenya’s informal dairy sector

Informal milk trading in peri-urban Nairobi plays a key role in supporting both livelihoods and nutrition, particularly among poor households. Gender dynamics affect who is involved in milk trading and who benefits from it.

To better understand gendered constraints and opportunities in informal, peri-urban dairy marketing, scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute and the International Food Policy Research Institute conducted a qualitative study in 2017 with 45 men and 50 women milk traders in Dagoretti, a peri-urban area in Nairobi, Kenya. The study is published in Gender, Technology and Development (27 Jun 2022).

The findings show that milk trading is more lucrative for older men than for women and younger men among the respondents. The study delves into the reasons behind the observed differences in the experiences of women and men as informal milk traders. The study also discusses the implications of the findings for interventions aimed at enhancing the sustainability and equity of the dairy sector.

Citation

Galiè, A., Njiru, N., Heckert, J., Myers, E. and Alonso, S. 2022. Gendered barriers and opportunities in Kenya’s informal dairy sector: enhancing gender-equity in urban markets. Gender, Technology and Development 26(2): 214–237.

Photo credit: Customers at a milk bar in Ndumbuini in Kabete, Nairobi (ILRI/Paul Karaimu)

 

ILRI and partners develop benchmarks for undergraduate food safety curriculum for East Africa

Towards enhancing food safety in East Africa, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) have been working with food safety experts from universities in the East African Community to develop benchmarks for a Bachelor of Science program in food safety.

As part of this endeavour, a workshop to finalize the curriculum benchmark process was held on 22–24 March 2022 in Kampala, Uganda.

The meeting brought together 21 food safety experts to develop the expected learning outcomes of the curriculum and align the learning outcomes with the main and supportive courses derived from a stakeholder engagement exercise.

The outputs of the group and plenary discussions will be used to draft a benchmark report which will be validated and finalized according to IUCEA processes.

The workshop was funded by CGIAR donors, FAO (Lloyd’s Register Foundation), the CGIAR One Health Initiative, the ILRI-led Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project and IUCEA.

The workshop report may be accessed via the link below.

Citation

Kang’ethe, E.K., Mutua, F. and Hung Nguyen-Viet. 2022. Benchmarks for food safety curriculum in the East African Community. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

Photo credit: Market place in Kenya (World Bank/Sambrian Mbaabu)

 

New research offers insights on bridging the gap between policy and reality in Kenya’s informal milk sector

Effective communication and constructive dialogue on inclusive ways forward between policy-makers and informal milk vendors can help to bridge the gap between policy and reality in Kenya’s informal milk sector, according to a new research study published in Development Policy Review (May 2022).

Around 80% of milk in Kenya is sold informally, providing livelihoods and contributing to the food security and nutrition of low-income consumers. Government policy, however, is focused on formalization—primarily through licensing and pasteurization—with enforcement via fines, confiscation of milk or closing the premises of informal actors.

The study, which was carried out by researchers from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), sought to better understand if, and why, Kenya’s informal milk sector and regulatory system are disconnected from one another and how the policy–reality gap might be better bridged.

To understand the nature and performance of Kenya’s informal milk markets and their governance, the authors used surveys with informal market players and key informant interviews. Fieldwork was carried out in Nairobi in late 2018.

The study found that milk safety and quality matters to all actors in informal milk value chains. The trust-based system used is effective in moderating behaviour and assessing and prioritizing quality and safety. 

However, government policy was found not to accomplish the stated goal of formalization, with low levels of licensing among informal actors. Pasteurization was not rewarded in the market and there was some evidence of sub-optimal pasteurization processes being undertaken to satisfy regulators. 

These findings point to a gap between the reality of Kenya’s informal milk sector and its policy and regulatory system.

This gap is seen in the form of adversarial relationships between regulators and informal actors, and unnecessary transaction costs, missing opportunities for enhancing livelihoods, food safety, and food security. 

The authors of the study therefore recommend that new approaches build on and consider existing approaches taken by actors in informal food markets to ensure food safety and quality. 

Citation

Blackmore, E., Guarín, A., Vorley, B., Alonso, S. and Grace, D. 2022. Kenya’s informal milk markets and the regulation-reality gap. Development Policy Review 40(3): e12581.

Photo credit: Milk collection at a dairy plant in Ol Kalou, Kenya (ILRI/Paul Karaimu)

 

Experts call for investment in zoonotic disease surveillance in remote rural areas to improve global health security

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to strengthen national surveillance systems to protect a globally connected world.

In low-income and middle-income countries, zoonotic disease surveillance has advanced considerably in the past two decades. However, surveillance efforts often prioritize urban and adjacent rural communities.

Communities in remote rural areas have had far less support despite having routine exposure to zoonotic diseases due to frequent contact with domestic and wild animals, and restricted access to health care. Limited disease surveillance in remote rural areas is a crucial gap in global health security.

Although this point has been made in the past, practical solutions on how to implement surveillance efficiently in these resource-limited and logistically challenging settings have yet to be discussed.

A new paper in Lancet Global Health (Apr 2022) highlights why investing in disease surveillance in remote rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries will benefit the global community and review current approaches.

Using semi-arid regions in Kenya as a case study, the authors’ viewpoint provides a practical approach by which surveillance in remote rural areas can be strengthened and integrated into existing systems.

The viewpoint represents a transition from simply highlighting the need for a more holistic approach to disease surveillance to a solid plan for how this outcome might be achieved.

Citation

Worsley-Tonks, K.E.L., Bender, J.B., Deem, S.L., Ferguson, A.W., Fèvre, E.M., Martins, D.J., Muloi, D.M., Murray, S., Mutinda, M., Ogada, D., Omondi, G.P., Prasad, S., Wild, H., Zimmerman, D.M. and Hassell, J.M. 2022. Strengthening global health security by improving disease surveillance in remote rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet Global Health 10(4): e579–e584.

Photo credit: Camels drinking at a water pan in Wajir county in Kenya (ILRI/George Wamwere-Njoroge)

 

New mapping study of Rwanda pig value chain analyses governance and sanitary risks

The pig production sector in Rwanda is growing rapidly as a result of rising local and regional demand for pork. To better understand how the sector operates, a new study has analysed the country’s pig and pork value chains to map the various actors involved, the governance and sanitary risks and the potential impacts on food safety.

The study, which is published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science (Jan 2022), was carried out by a team of scientists affiliated to the International Livestock Research Institute, the University of Global Health Equity, the University of Leeds, the University of Liverpool and the University of Rwanda.

The researchers held key informant interviews and focus group discussions with farmers, brokers, butchers, abattoir managers and veterinarians to collect data on pig production methods and inputs, the source and destination of live and slaughtered pigs, pork processing infrastructure (abattoirs and factories), the people involved and interactions between them, governance and challenges.

Smallholder farmers dominate pig production in Rwanda, primarily as a source of supplementary income but also for manure. The study also found medium and large pig farms around urban areas. There are few veterinarians attending farms, with most veterinary services provided by less qualified technicians or through self-treatment of pigs by farmers.

Pigs are bought and sold at live pig markets, where brokers play key roles in setting prices, examining pigs for disease and organizing the supply of pigs to abattoirs and for export. The study identified only a few formal pig abattoirs which mainly supply to pork processing factories in Kigali or export to customers.

Although formal abattoirs were attended by a veterinary inspector, a lack of record keeping was noted. Local consumers rely on informal pig slaughtering at farms or restaurant backyards, with irregular veterinary inspection. This observed weakness in pork inspection poses a potential risk to public health.

Generally, the study found that the main sanitary risks were a lack of biosecurity throughout the chain and poor hygiene at slaughter places.

For example, although palpation of the pigs’ tongues was carried out at the markets to check for tapeworm cysts, pigs that tested positive for cysts were not destroyed but were sold at reduced prices in the same market or later informally sold by the owner.

Overall, the pig value chain in Rwanda is characterized by a high degree of informality at all nodes, combined with a rapid growth trajectory in the sector.

The findings of this study provide useful evidence for policymakers to design interventions to address the weaknesses identified in Rwanda’s pig value chain towards improving food safety and safeguarding the health of consumers.

Citation

Shyaka, A., Quinnell, R.J., Rujeni, N. and Fèvre, E. 2022. Using a value chain approach to map the pig production system in Rwanda, its governance, and sanitary risks. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8: 720553.

Funding

This study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council Global Challenge Research Fund (Grant number MR/P025471/1). Author Fèvre acknowledges partial support from the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and acknowledges the CGIAR Fund Donors (http://www.cgiar.org/funders).

Photo credit: Pig in concrete stable in Mukono District, Uganda (ILRI/Elisabeth Kilian)

 

Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021 side event discusses the role of informal markets within future food systems

The Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021 takes place on 7–8 December 2021. The summit comes at a critical time, midway through the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, with only five years left to achieve the World Health Assembly  targets on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, and 10 years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ahead of the summit, on 2 December 2021, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) hosted a side event on the role of informal markets within future food systems.

The purpose of the side event was to derive a set of principles to help national policymakers develop risk-based policies that reward positive food safety as opposed to criminalization and marginalization. Such policies will improve the governance, operations and future of informal markets to ensure their continued contribution to livelihoods, health and nutrition.

A panel discussion featured the following speakers:

• Delia Grace, professor of food safety systems, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich and joint appointed scientist, ILRI
• Jane Battersby, senior lecturer, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town
• Vivian Maduekeh, managing principal, Food Health Systems Advisory
• Emma Blackmore, research associate, IIED
• Stella Nordhagen, senior technical specialist, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
• Utpal Kumar Sharma, director, Dairy Development Department, Government of Assam, India

View the recording below.

Photo credit: Market place in Kenya (World Bank/Sambrian Mbaabu)