Murang’a County has rolled out a new initiative to incorporate organically produced food into its school feeding programme, aiming to improve children’s nutrition while creating dependable markets for farmers practicing regenerative agriculture.
The programme is being implemented through a collaboration of five partners—Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN), Digital Green, Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Kenya, Institute for Culture and Ecology (ICE), and Practical Action—with financial backing from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Speaking during a joint inception meeting held at a Murang’a hotel, Rockefeller Foundation Director Betty Kibaara, who is overseeing the Regenerative School Meal Initiative in Africa, explained that Murang’a was selected due to its existing agroecology policy, clear implementation strategy, and an operational school feeding programme.
“We want to promote school meals where food is produced in ways that heal the soil and support efficient water use,” she said, adding that, “We are creating a strong linkage between school feeding programmes and regenerative agriculture.”
Kibaara underscored the importance of access to nutritious, organically grown food in supporting children’s growth, improving concentration, and enhancing academic performance.
She further revealed that the initiative, which seeks to transition 20 percent of farmers in the county to regenerative agriculture, will require an investment of over USD 26 million.
“We hope that after the initial transition that will be done by the partners the county will take up the initiative, and adapt it fully as part of the school feeding program,” she noted.
Murang’a County Executive Committee Member for Devolution and External Linkages, Kiringai Kamau, said the programme is designed to improve the overall health of residents, beginning with school-going children.
“We are focused on sustainability and empowering communities through schools so that children grow up with the knowledge of producing and consuming healthy food,” he said.
Kamau added that the county government, working with agroecology stakeholders and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, will integrate agroecological practices into schools to build a strong foundation in nutrition and sustainable food systems.
“We will begin with 15 wards and later scale up to the remaining 20 wards across the county,” he said, noting that farmers will be required to supply food that meets school standards and is produced using agroecological methods.
He pointed out that the initiative will promote indigenous crops such as arrowroots, sweet potatoes, and millet to improve dietary diversity among learners.
Kamau also highlighted the county’s “food as medicine” approach under its Food Pharmacy initiative, which encourages healthier eating habits to help prevent lifestyle-related diseases.
“We are establishing demonstration gardens in schools to teach children how to grow food organically and understand the nutritional value of different foods,” he said.
PELUM Kenya Head of Programmes Manei Naanyu said the organisation will establish agroecological kitchen gardens in public primary schools, transforming them into practical learning hubs for pupils, teachers, and surrounding communities.
She noted that the programme targets 1,500 pupils and 2,700 smallholder farmers across six sub-counties, with the goal of building a resilient local food system to sustain school feeding programmes.
Practical Action, in collaboration with KOAN and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), is implementing a participatory Market Systems Development approach to strengthen the initiative. The strategy focuses on increasing consumer awareness and shaping demand for sustainably produced food.
Practical Action Kenya Country Director Susan Maina said the organisation will facilitate market linkages by connecting farmers to buyers, including schools, while promoting safer food production through agroecology.
“Together with our partners, we encourage farmers to take care of the soil by avoiding harmful chemicals that have been linked to many illnesses,” she said.
Maina added that demand for organic produce is growing both locally and internationally, offering farmers expanded market opportunities while ensuring consumers access healthier food options.
KOAN Chief Executive Officer Eustace Kiarie said the organisation will use its Kilimohai certification mark under a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) to verify agroecological produce in a way that is accessible to smallholder farmers.
He stated that KOAN plans to organise at least 800 farmers into 40 groups, linking them to schools, local markets, and other buyers.
Digital Green Country Coordinator Jacqueline Wang’ombe said their FarmerChat mobile application, an AI-powered advisory platform, will support farmers with real-time information on best agricultural practices to ensure food quality and safety.
She added that the platform will also connect farmers directly to school meal procurement systems, bridging the gap between production and market access.
Meanwhile, ICE Executive Director Martin Muriuki said the organisation will strengthen governance within the Agroecology Multi-Stakeholder Platform by enhancing its capacity to mobilise resources and implement an effective monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework.
By: Samuel Mwangi
