World Food Day 2021: Life Below Water — Sustainably Feeding a 9-Billion World
Perfect moment to press ‘reset’ on food production
by Kimani Gichuche.
This year’s World Food Day is the perfect moment to reflect on how our actions can contribute to sustainable food security for all. It is also an excellent time to press the ‘reset’ button on extractive food production processes and instead, redesign them to safeguard biodiversity while nourishing the world. The World Food Day’s theme: “Our actions are our future — Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life,” aligns closely with my team’s work. We leverage renewable energy in fish processing to improve the final quality of fish that ends up on consumers’ plates.
Back in September 2016, I first visited Loiyangalani along the eastern shores of Lake Turkana. I was then on assignment at the Strathmore University’s Energy Research Centre (funded by GIZ) to assess the application of solar power for fish cooling. Standing on the dry, rocky lakeshores, I had an epiphany: What if we could sustainably feed the world using the ‘blue economy’ by leveraging the resources underwater? Walking along the beach and later in the market, I was struck by how ubiquitous fish was: it was everywhere. The condition of the fish — shrivelled, salty and sandy — left me wondering how tasty, nutritious or valuable it could be. To deal with my curiosity, my colleagues and I dined at the Oasis Lodge to sample this fish. The fish was surprisingly delicious! The tilapia had a wild sweet taste to it and the Nile Perch was pure heaven of fish steak. The sad thing was it couldn’t get to our urban centres fresh or frozen due to lack of cooling infrastructure and the poor state of the road network. Travel to and from Lake Turkana was not for the faint-hearted. It was then that the burden of getting this fish in its delicious and fresh state to Kenya’s urban markets fell on my shoulders.
From that visit I found myself researching possible sustainable and reliable solutions to resolve the challenges of the lake Turkana region’s fisherfolk. It wasn’t until 2019 that I fully put into motion my vision to change this for the fisherfolk and others who rely on fisheries for their livelihoods. As a first step, I hired someone to work full-time on operations. We excitedly set about developing a business model canvas for the young firm. Next, we began undertaking feasibility studies and pitched our business model to relevant funding organizations. We were thrilled to land three funding opportunities: the Mandela Washington Fellowship Business Plan Competition, MbelenaBiz (‘Business Forward’) Business Plan Competition and Efficiency for Access Research and Development Grant. Receiving these funds was a confidence booster for our young firm. We rapidly worked to move our business from idea to prototype. Delivering our first frozen fish to our paying customers was thrilling beyond words: at last, this was a reality! In February 2021, I left full-time employment to focus my full attention and energies on realizing this vision. By August this year, we had constructed a fully functional solar-powered hub buying fish from the fisherfolk and selling it frozen to urban markets in six major regions in Kenya.
Better Production: Life Below Water
Fish is the world’s largest source of protein. Over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. The catch fish industry is threatened by overfishing, harmful fishing practices and poor management of both solid and liquid waste. Inland catch fish in Kenya is highly threatened by overfishing attributed to the exploitation of juvenile (underage) fish. Catching and selling juvenile Nile Perch have drastically reduced the numbers of the species in Lake Victoria. Thanks to inadequate cooling facilities in Lake Turkana, local fisherfolk have resorted to juvenile tilapia fishing as the young fish is easier to dry and have a ready market in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As Adili, we have a principle that we encourage the fisherfolk to fish sustainably for future generations. Using simple methods such as a visual guide for the desired size of fish and paying premium prices for all fit-for-purpose fish, we are slowly but surely changing the locals’ focus from fishing for volume to fishing for value while respecting nature. We only buy fish that is 25 centimeters long and above for tilapia fish, and above 2 kilograms Nile Perch for distribution to urban markets.
Better Nutrition
Fish is a low-fat high-quality protein that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and B2. It is also rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and potassium. Fish boosts brain and heart health. Some studies associate it with the prevention and treatment of depression. For me, having Nile Perch fish fingers on my plate keeps a smile on my face.
Better Environment: Doing Our Part
Irresponsible fishing techniques result in negative impacts on the environment. Using wrong types of nets could result in overfishing, catching juvenile fish, and ultimately leading to the extinction of an important species through depletion. These actions will affect the ecological balance of life below water. At Adili Solar Hubs we are therefore purposeful in only buying mature fish from the fisherfolk who support us. Using renewable energy for running our plant ensures low carbon emissions. We are also cautious in the refrigerant gases we use and are looking towards using gases with the least global warming potential.
Our cold chain hubs also reduce fish spoilage. Fish spoilage contributes to atmospheric methane production. Fish waste from our plants will soon be used to generate biogas further reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are conducting research and development of biogas-powered generators to further reduce the carbon footprint in our electricity production.
Better Life: Cleaner Power and Water
Our hubs are in Turkana County, which is the poorest county in Kenya. We have increased the earnings of the fisherfolk three-fold. Fisherfolk are now requesting quotations of solar home systems for their homes and shops. These solar systems are large enough to power refrigerators — indicating improved quality of life. Each hub can employ up to 20 people full-time who are salaried, covered by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF). We ensure our staff have the necessary protective equipment to ensure their safety while reducing work-related injuries.
We also aim to supply the community with clean drinking water as the water around is saline. A start, we are supplying the nearby primary school with potable water — making a difference in the Longech area. We are thus contributing to reducing water-borne diseases and promoting good health and nutrition of the local school community.
A new dawn is emerging for global food security with loud clarion calls echoed by actors — both large and small — across the globe. I am proud and humbled to lead our work at Adili that will contribute to this effort of sustainably nourishing the world while caring for our environment.