TechnoServe Pilots Innovations to Reduce Food Loss and Improve Nutrition in Kenya

The NutriSave program tests collaborative models to rescue surplus produce and make nutritious food more affordable and accessible

NAIROBI, KENYA (October 8, 2025) – The NutriSave program, implemented by TechnoServe, has launched two innovative pilot projects to tackle food loss and waste and improve access and consumption of fruits and vegetables in Kenya. The initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), is testing scalable solutions to redirect surplus and imperfect fruits and vegetables to low-income consumers.

Only 2% of Kenya’s population consumes the World Health Organization’s recommended daily intake of 400 grams of fruits and vegetables, with average per capita consumption estimated at 150 grams. Aligned with this year’s International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste call for increased collaboration, NutriSave is piloting two innovative interventions that aim to harness private-sector solutions to reduce food loss and waste and increase access to affordable and nutritious produce for low-income communities.

“During our research, we identified critical bottlenecks in the Kenyan food supply chain where better collaboration and innovation can have an immediate impact. By connecting key supply chain actors–from farmers and distributors to informal vendors–we can rescue and redirect surplus and imperfect fruits and vegetables, addressing both an economic and a public health challenge,” Carolyne Maina, Nutrisave Program Director.

The two pilot interventions are:

• Business-to-Business (B2B) Digital Platform: NutriSave is partnering with Tigoni Grown, a leading distributor and producer of high-quality fresh produce, and Taimba, a Nairobi-based agri-tech company with an innovative mobile-based, cashless platform that connects farmers to retailers. This collaboration will pilot a digital marketplace designed to optimize the flow of surplus and imperfect fruits and vegetables from producers to urban markets, reducing logistical inefficiencies and food loss.

“Tigoni Grown, in partnership with TechnoServe aims to expand and strengthen efforts to reduce food loss and waste as a strategic step toward food security, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience by building a commodity exchange platform that connects farmers, traders, and markets, ensuring better coordination, fair value, and timely access to food,” said Tigoni Grown CEO Charles Orora. “In doing so we hope that more food will nourish people, protect our planet, and build a better future for all.”

• Washing, Cutting, and Peeling (WCP) of Surplus Produce: NutriSave is working with Six Square Limited, a company renowned for providing high-quality fresh produce across Kenya and beyond. This pilot will process surplus and aesthetically imperfect fruits and vegetables into fresh, ready-to-cook formats. These nutritious products will be supplied to informal food vendors in Nairobi, making it easier and more affordable for low-income consumers to access healthy options.

“Through our collaboration in the pilot and development of a digital platform that will enable customers to pre-order, we are expanding and strengthening stakeholder engagement across the entire value chain,” said Six Square CEO Ajay Saini. “At Six Square, we believe reducing waste is not only good for business, but it’s essential for a sustainable future.”

The results from these pilots will provide valuable evidence for scaling up these models in Kenya and other countries in Africa, contributing directly to the Sustainable Development Goal of halving per capita global food waste by 2030.

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About TechnoServe

Founded in 1968, TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty for good. A non-profit organization working in 30 countries, we work with people to build a better future through regenerative farms, businesses, and markets that increase incomes. Our vision is a sustainable world where all people in low-income communities have the opportunity to prosper. Twitter: @TechnoServe | Facebook: @TechnoServe | LinkedIn: @TechnoServe

About NutriSave:

NutriSave is a three-year program funded by the Gates Foundation and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Its mission is to reduce food loss and waste and improve access to affordable, nutritious fruits and vegetables for low-income consumers in Kenya by fostering innovation and collaboration across the agricultural value chain.

For more information, visit: https://www.technoserve.org/fight-poverty/projects/nutrisave-program/