AN initiative by the Kenya Government to raise awareness on the consumption of traditional foods to fight food insecurity is in top gear.
The initiative, under the Ministry of Health and the Home Economics Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, will help the local farmers who depend on these nutrients-rich traditional foods for their livelihoods to seek new and reliable markets.
Agriculture Minister Mr. Kipruto Kirwa said the consumption of traditional foods would boost the health of the country’s population because of their high nutritive value.
Mr. Kirwa said increased consumption of traditional foods would also boost income generation especially in the rural areas.
He said the ministry seeks to promote the foods by involving research and education institutions to assess and document the traditionally available species and the variations present in various species. He said plans were underway to enhance research on quality seeds for the foods and make them accessible to farmers.
The minister, who was addressing an awareness forum in Nairobi, stressed that a good diet was key to national development. “Good nutrition is bound to impact positively on our health and that of our children, and more so, that of the entire nation.”
Traditional foods that include over 210 of already documented species of leafy vegetables are threatened with extinction by the cultural dynamics and the increased consumption of exotic foods.
The forum was organised by the Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (KENRIK) and the Kenya Society of Ethno-ecology (KSE).