New Plan to Slash Kenya’s Sh72bn Food Losses as Aid Dries Up

By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter

Kenya, December 11 2025 - Kenya is moving to tackle massive food loss and waste, estimated at KES 72 billion annually, even as global humanitarian funding shrinks sharply, threatening food security across the region.

Stakeholders say reducing waste could significantly improve access to food and strengthen resilience in the face of rising hunger. A major new report by WRI Africa africa.wri.org shows that Kenya loses up to 40 percent of the food it produces each year, equivalent to around 9 million tonnes of staples and high-value foods worth about KES 72 billion (US$578 million), before it ever reaches consumers.

The losses occur along value chains for maize, potatoes, fruit, and fish, driven by poor storage, transport, and market inefficiencies. “By providing reliable data, strengthening policies, mobilizing finance, and fostering entrepreneurship, we are turning food loss and waste into food security, green jobs, and climate resilience across Kenya and the region,” said Dr. Susan Chomba, Director for Food, Land and Water at WRI Africa, highlighting the need for systemic action.

Experts say cutting food loss not only boosts available nutrition but can also ease pressure on resources and prices, particularly in times of climate shocks and conflict-driven market stress.

Global Funding Cuts Compound Local Challenges

The push to reduce food loss comes as United Nations humanitarian funding faces a steep decline. In early December 2025, the UN’s humanitarian aid appeal for 2026 was slashed to about US$23 billion, roughly half the original target, despite rising global needs, forcing agencies to prioritise only the most critical crises.

UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the cuts were forcing difficult decisions, “It’s the cuts ultimately that are forcing us into these tough, tough, brutal choices that we’re having to make,” he told reporters, adding that agencies were “overstretched, underfunded, and under attack” as needs grow.

At the same time, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that global hunger is worsening and that, due to funding shortfalls, it can only plan to assist about 110 million of those in need in 2026, despite an estimated 318 million people facing crisis-level hunger or worse worldwide.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain called the situation “completely unacceptable” and stressed the urgency of scaling up support.

Kenya on a Cross road

Kenya already faces acute food insecurity and rising humanitarian needs: more than 1.8 million people are currently experiencing severe hunger and that figure may grow to over 2.1 million by early 2026, according to recent reporting.

Much of the strain comes from consecutive failed rains, shrinking water supplies, malnutrition and disease outbreaks, all exacerbated by declining humanitarian finances. Cutting food loss at source, through improved storage, cold chains, hermetic bags, drying technologies and better logistics, can help make more local food available for markets and consumers.

Projects that link post-harvest loss reduction with market access and value addition are also seen as key to boosting smallholder incomes and resilience. Food loss is not just an economic issue: it intersects deeply with nutrition, climate resilience and national food security.

If guided by robust policies, measurement systems and targeted investments, as proponents of the “Target-Measure-Act” framework argue, Kenya could not only recover billions in lost food value each year but also feed millions more people, stabilise prices and reduce pressure on her fragile food systems.

Silent yet loud call Policy experts are calling for: Standardised measurement and monitoring of food loss across value chains, so targets can be set and progress tracked. Investments in storage, processing and logistics infrastructure to reduce spoilage, linking farmers to markets and exporters.

And, policy integration that recognises food loss reduction as part of food security, climate resilience and economic growth strategies. With global aid budgets under pressure and domestic food security challenges intensifying, reducing post-harvest losses, and transforming wasted food into value, could become a cornerstone of Kenya’s efforts to build a more resilient and equitable food system for the 2026 food security landscape and beyond.