Institute for Food Justice and Development

Today, we are attending the launch of the #2025GlobalHungerIndex at the Fairmont The Norfolk. It is sobering that hunger remains a persistent challenge, affecting millions of Kenyans in both rural areas and urban poor households. As this year’s theme calls us to recommit to #ZeroHunger, we must ask difficult questions: What are we missing? What are we not getting right? Is it time for government to increase investment in agrifood systems from about 3% of the national budget to at least 10%? And perhaps development partners also need to relook at who we are targeting. Many nutrition programs focus on malnutrition in ASAL counties, yet hunger and poor diets are also widespread among the urban poor, especially those who migrate to cities seeking casual work but end up in fragile livelihoods. Hunger is largely a man-made problem. With the right policies and priorities, it is also a solvable one. Perhaps the moment calls not only for recommitment- but for re-strategizing. #ZeroHunger #FoodJustice #RightToFood #FoodSystems @ConcernKenya @Concern @WHH_Kenya @Welthungerhilfe

Absolutely, as farmers should be in the forefront protecting people's health. @ifjad_ @foodjusticenet @IHRF_English

Women and youth are key to inclusive agrifood systems. At a GTA workshop in Nairobi, we validated SMS messages aimed at strengthening women’s leadership, economic empowerment, and participation in governance and nutrition accountability spaces. Proud to represent @ifjad_.

Farmers who use toxic pesticides often think their produce is going to “the market,” but the market is people. The food we grow may end up feeding neighbors, friends, or even our own brothers and sisters without us knowing. Choosing safer pest control is therefore an act of responsibility and care for the community we all share. #FoodSafety #FoodJustice #ResponsibleFarming #Agroecology #ToxicFreeFood #RightToFood #KenyaFoodSystems @aphrc

Before many of us wake up, Mama Mboga is already at the markets, sorting food that will feed households across our cities. Through their labor, millions of Kenyan families access fresh, affordable food every day. They are traders and quiet custodians of our food system, who strive to ensure food reaches our tables. Yet behind this essential role lies a daily struggle. Many Mama Mbogas work long hours under harsh conditions, balancing their businesses with unpaid care work at home. They face unstable prices, losses from spoilage, limited access to credit, and at times harassment in markets. Despite feeding our cities, their voices are rarely included in decisions about markets, food safety, and the future of our food systems. On this #InternationalWomen’sDay, we must recognize Mama Mbogas not only as hardworking women in our markets, but as vital actors in Kenya’s food system and champions of everyday food security. A just food system must protect their dignity, improve market conditions, and ensure their voices are heard in shaping policies that affect their livelihoods. When we support Mama Mboga, we support the women who nourish our nation. #InternationalWomensDay #MamaMboga #WomenInFoodSystems #FoodJustice #RightToFood #WomenFeedTheNation #SupportMamaMboga #WomenInAgriculture #KenyanFoodSystems #FoodSecurity #WomenAtWork #DignityInFoodSystems

In many public hospitals across the country, structural barriers make proper, nourishing food difficult to deliver to patients: underfunded budgets, weak procurement systems that prioritize the cheapest suppliers, limited nutrition standards, and the marginalization of food and dietetics in clinical decision-making. If we are serious about health, we must challenge these power structures and recognize hospital food as essential healthcare-not an afterthought. #foodyapower #FoodJustice #ChakulaNiHaki #ClinicalNutrition

We are honored to be meeting today with other members of the Right to Food Coalition, under the guidance of The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA), to review progress and set strategic priorities for 2026. This important discussion focuses on strengthening coordination, policy coherence, and collective accountability in advancing the constitutional Right to Food. IFJAD greatly supports the Right to Food work and remains committed to advancing initiatives that promote food security, equity, and the dignity of all Kenyans. We look forward to contributing to actionable strategies that will strengthen the Coalition’s impact across communities.

Why do we say that your rights are violated each time you sleep hungry, purchase meat laced with toxic additives, or eat tomatoes grown with highly hazardous pesticides? Because as a sovereign Kenyan, you are not merely a participant in the marketplace- you are a constitutional rights-holder entitled to adequate, safe, and nutritious food. The right to food is inseparable from the right to dignity, health, and life. A just food system must protect citizens from exploitation, harm, and exclusion. Food policy must be anchored in accountability, transparency, and the protection of public welfare. Because a nation that cannot guarantee safe and sufficient food for its people risks undermining both its democracy and its moral authority. #ChakulaNiHaki #FoodJustice #RightToFood #ConsumerHealth #PublicHealth

PLANTING THE FUTURE OF FOOD SYSTEMS. A Proud milestone as we pioneer the Kenyatta University Nutrition and Dietetics Students Association Kitchen Garden, in collaboration with @ifjad_ #Nuturing leaders who understand that nutrition starts from the soil

Quality healthcare goes beyond medicine and surgery. Food served in our county hospitals is part of treatment. It is time to align hospital procurement and nutrition practices with public health goals. 1. Institutionalize Agroecological Procurement County hospitals should adopt procurement policies that prioritize agroecologically produced food. This is not a lifestyle preference — it is a public health decision. Food grown with minimal harmful chemical inputs reduces exposure risks for vulnerable patients, supports biodiversity, and strengthens resilient local food systems. 2. Source Locally and Safely Hospitals should procure safe, traceable food from farmers within their locality. Local sourcing shortens supply chains, enhances accountability, stimulates county economies, and ensures fresher, more nutrient-dense produce for patients. 3. Deliver Therapeutic, Nutritious, and Dignified Meals Hospital meals must be intentionally designed as part of clinical care. They should be nutritionally adequate, tailored to specific patient conditions, prepared safely, affordable within public budgets, and presented with dignity. Nutrition is therapy. Meals should actively support recovery, not merely address hunger. 4. Strengthen Recovery Outcomes When patients are well fed with safe, nutritious food, recovery improves. Length of hospital stay may reduce. Public confidence in health institutions grows. The food system becomes part of the healthcare system. This model is simple, practical, and achievable. Hospital food is not a side issue — it is a public health priority.

Mangoes are rotting in our farms this season- yet how many hospitals have deliberately procured them for patient meals? Fruits are clinically valuable, micronutrient-dense foods that support wound healing, immune recovery, appetite stimulation, and overall nutritional rehabilitation. In surgical wards, oncology units, and malnutrition cases, simple fruit purées, fortified juices, or enriched meals can meaningfully improve intake and recovery outcomes. Proper patient meals are part of therapy. Under the Ministry of Health, Kenya, hospital feeding is often treated as routine catering rather than therapeutic care. Yet it is entirely possible to align agricultural abundance with institutional procurement, reduce post-harvest losses, and serve patients fresh, nutrient-rich meals that aid recovery. When food systems and health systems work together, we strengthen farmers, protect public resources, and improve patient outcomes. Seasonal abundance should translate into clinical strength. #FoodJustice #RightToFood #ChakulaNiHaki #Agroecology @aphrc

From hospital garden to patient's plate. Today, we are thrilled! We harvested fresh, agroecologically produced, organic vegetables, supported the preparation and cooking process, and proudly served nourishing meals to patients. Growing food in January has not been without its challenges. However, the encouraging feedback from patients in the Renal Unit and those managing diabetes reminded us why this work matters. Access to fresh, thoughtfully prepared food is a critical part of healthcare. We extend our sincere appreciation to Thika Level 5 Hospital Administration and the Nutrition Department for their continued cooperation. Special thanks to Diabetes Awareness Trust - DAT (@diabetestrust ) for the financing and technical support that made this initiative possible. We also acknowledge the commitment of the COMRADES FOR FOOD JUSTICE Club, led by MAINA ERICK, and the Institute for Food Justice and Development (IFJAD) team for their dedication and teamwork. #FoodJustice #Agroecology #ChakulaNiHaki #RightToFood #HealthcareNutrition #Agroecology #PublicHealth #SustainableFoodSystems

On Saturday, 7 Feb, WingFarm trained farmers on sustainable poultry production, covering feed formulation, housing, disease control, and biosecurity. Practical skills to cut feed costs, reduce losses, and promote safe poultry products. #WingFarm #PoultryFarming #FoodSafety

We are currently participating in the @SUN_CSA_KENYA Members Consultative Meeting, engaging in structured reflection on governance, coordination, and member engagement. The discussions are focused on strengthening collective effectiveness and ensuring the sustainability of the SUN CSA platform. IFJAD values these consultative spaces as essential for building accountable, inclusive, and impact-driven food systems through coordinated civil society action.

Every word on this board represents the struggles and aspirations of millions of Kenyans. Food justice is about putting people first—acknowledging past inequities, understanding present challenges, and creating systems that allow everyone to thrive. Ultimately, this work is part of Kenya’s broader journey toward equitable development, a journey where dignity, opportunity, and the right to a decent life are realities for all, not just a few. #FoodJustice #RightToFood #EquitableDevelopment #Kenya #PeopleFirst #SocialImpact #SustainableDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment

We are happy to co-create the kitchen garden at Thika Level 5 Hospital with enthusiastic youth! Future nutritionists and food systems leaders are learning that healthy meals start with understanding the food system, not just clinical procedures. Seeing young people enjoy hands-on agroecology and nutrition practice is inspiring! A big shoutout to the Comrades For Food Justice club (CFJ) from KMTC Thika for their active participation, ideas, and commitment to making hospital meals safer, fresher, and more nutritious. Your engagement shows that youth leadership is at the heart of building just, sustainable, and community-centered food systems. #FoodJustice #YouthLeadership #Agroecology #NutritionMatters #CommunityAction #IFJAD #ThikaLevel5Hospital #ChakulaNiHaki

Despite the hot sun, pests (including birds and monkeys), we are moving. We are undetered. Patients will eat healthy, organic veggies. We are accepting donations of herbs, seeds, and are in BIG NEED of a shade net to keep off birds and monkeys. If you would like to support this work, please write to us through info@ifjad.org. #FoodJustice #ChakulaNiHaki #Nutrition

Today, we’re at Mövenpick for a half-day strategic dialogue on Scaling Agrifood Innovation through Partnership Intelligence 🌱🤝 Organized by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the dialogue brings together researchers, investors, policymakers, and civil society to explore how stronger, smarter partnerships can accelerate agrifood innovation. These cross-sector conversations are essential for translating knowledge into action and ensuring innovation delivers real impact across food systems. Looking forward to the insights and collaborations emerging from today’s discussions. #AgrifoodInnovation #PartnershipIntelligence #FoodSystems #Collaboration #FoodJustice #SustainableAgriculture

I am a consumer. I want to eat safe, nutritious food. I want to go to bed full, because the system works for me. I want to know my voice matters in shaping the food around me. I acknowledge that wasting food has consequences for the climate we all share. Consumer dignity is about these simple, essential rights—and about recognizing the power we hold in food systems. When we demand fairness, participate in decisions, and make conscious choices, we protect our health, our communities, and our planet. Dignity is collective, systemic, and transformative. #ConsumerDignity #FoodJustice #RightToFood #SustainableFood #ClimateAction #FoodSystems

Many fishing communities in Kenya are among the poorest and hungriest, despite being central to our food and nutrition security. Dignity for fisherfolk means recognizing fishers as skilled workers and stewards of our waters, with fair incomes, safe working conditions, and secure access to fishing grounds. It also means protection from exploitative commercial fishing interests and from pollution that destroys livelihoods and ecosystems. When fisherfolk are treated with dignity, we protect our waters, strengthen food security, and advance food justice for all. #DignityForFisherfolk #FoodJustice #RightToFood #AjiraBora #ChakulaNiHaki #BlueJustice #ProtectSmallScaleFishers #SustainableFisheries #Kenya