Harnessing climate-smart crops for healthier communities

South Africans are observing National Nutrition Week from 9-15 October 2025

National Nutrition Week serves as a vital platform for reflecting on the progress and challenges in addressing malnutrition in Kenya. In Elgeyo Marakwet County, Vitamin A deficiency remains a pressing public health issue, especially among children under five and women of reproductive age. According to county health reports, more than 30% of children are affected, putting them at risk of stunted growth, weakened immunity, and poor cognitive development. The continued burden of Vitamin A deficiency underscores the urgent need for effective and sustainable interventions. Promotion of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and Pigeon pea through behaviour change communication (BCC) and value addition technologies is emerging as a sustainable approach to improve household nutrition and food security.

A plate of OFSP and Pigeon pea is more than a meal, it is an investment in the health and resilience of future generations.

Nutritious crops for resilient households

Orange-fleshed sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A. Regular consumption can significantly reduce Vitamin A deficiency, supporting eye health, growth, and immunity in children and pregnant women. Pigeon pea is an excellent source of protein, iron, and fibre. Together, these crops address both hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) and household food insecurity, while offering farmers alternative income sources through value-added products.

Changing mindsets, changing meals

Promoting nutritious crops goes beyond availability; it requires shifting community perceptions and habits. The behaviour change communication (BCC) strategy transforms knowledge and attitudes by integrating nutrition education into community campaigns, radio programs, school feeding initiatives, and household training sessions.

Through cooking demonstrations, women, men, and youth participate in hands-on sessions to prepare tasty recipes, such as OFSP chapati, pigeon pea stew, porridge blends, and composite flours. School-based initiatives introduce children to nutritious meals within school feeding programs, creating early acceptance and demand. Through the BCC strategy, community health volunteers and lead farmers get an opportunity to be trained and act as ambassadors for dietary diversity. These approaches foster awareness, promote positive attitudes, and empower families to adopt healthier eating habits.

Women are especially targeted through training and empowerment initiatives that encourage their leadership in food choices and control of household resources, ensuring gender inclusivity in the fight against malnutrition.

Turning crops into opportunities

Value addition ensures that crops are not only consumed at home but also drive economic empowerment. Through this approach, farmers and local enterprises have the opportunity to be trained in processing orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and pigeon peas into innovative products. Women are primarily targeted through training and empowerment initiatives that encourage their leadership in food choices and control of household resources, ensuring gender inclusivity in the fight against malnutrition. Value addition technologies are also central to this initiative, creating opportunities to process OFSP and Pigeon pea into flour, chips, baked snacks and complementary foods for children, which extends shelf life, improves marketability, and supports small enterprises, particularly women– and youth-led groups, who benefit from income generation and employment opportunities, thereby linking nutrition security with economic resilience.

From awareness to action

Integrating these technologies into local supply chains ensures scalability and sustainability by working hand in hand with County Government nutrition programs, agricultural extension services, and rural community partners, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration that aligns with national nutrition strategies and the global push for sustainable food systems.

Awareness → Knowledge → Practice → Improved Diets → Better Nutrition

Notably, the approach recognises that resilience is not only about producing more food but about building systems that can withstand climatic shocks such as unpredictable rainfall, droughts, or crop failures, and both OFSP and Pigeon pea are drought-tolerant and adaptable to semi-arid conditions, making them reliable crops for vulnerable households who depend on rain-fed agriculture. The project directly contributes to reducing hunger, enhancing dietary diversity, and strengthening social cohesion, as families gain confidence in their food supply and communities come together around shared agricultural and nutrition goals.

The project directly contributes to reducing hunger, enhancing dietary diversity, and strengthening social cohesion, as families gain confidence in their food supply and communities come together around shared agricultural and nutrition goals.

Nutrition is a communal responsibility

The celebration of Nutrition Week is therefore not only about raising awareness but also about showcasing how locally available, climate-smart crops can be leveraged to improve the health and resilience of present and future generations. Our project demonstrates how climate-smart agriculture can be harnessed not only to meet immediate nutritional needs but also to create sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems that secure the health and economic stability of households in Elgeyo Marakwet and beyond, ultimately demonstrating that the path to eradicating malnutrition lies in combining science, culture, and community action around nutritious crops that are adapted to local realities. Beyond nutrition, this initiative also strengthens women’s empowerment, as gender mainstreaming ensures women’s voices are heard in decision-making on production, food utilisation, and household nutrition strategies, creating more equitable and cohesive communities.

Dr Juliana Cheboi