Abstract
Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya, is increasing in size and complexity due to migration from rural areas. Reaching the objectives of zero hunger and sustainable cities and communities (SDGs2 and 11) are urgent and complex challenges to future development. In this survey a new fish value-chain has been set up between a rural area called Nyeri district and the inhabitants of Kibera, to supply small-sized affordable and accessible fish. The main aim of this article is to investigate this best practice example to assist future initiatives to overcome the complex challenges and discuss reasons why it was successful. The methods applied to obtain information to conduct this survey include a literature review, two workshops, and five preparatory interviews of Kibera inhabitants. The contributions by two community leaders, one in Kibera and one in Nyeri, are central to understand why this project was successful. The community leaders were trusted in their local networks. To ensure a resilient rural-urban food system in the future, it is critically important to understand context-specific institutional mechanisms, which in Kenya are based in communities run by strong community leads with capacities to motivate and influence other actors in the network to improve and make changes.
Highlights
People move from rural to urban areas in search of food, income, employment, and a better life worldwide
The business location had to be arranged, the inclusion of a total of 56 vendors who are willing to process and sell the fish in Kibera were informed, included, and consulted with, among others. These events go hand in hand with weekly problem solving by the community leads in Kibera and Nyeri, in dialogues with Wageningen University and Research (WUR)
Combining the literature survey with the findings of the implementation of a fish-food system in Kibera, it becomes obvious that community network leads play a critical role to encourage community wellbeing and livelihood, commitment, work responsibilities and willingness to contribute to economic developments
Summary
People move from rural to urban areas in search of food, income, employment, and a better life worldwide. In a project called ‘Feeding cities and migration settlement’, the design of the project made it possible to set up a new fish value-chain between a rural area called Nyeri district, which supplies small-sized affordable and accessible fish, and Kibera, Nairobi. County, was discussed in detail during a stakeholder workshop on 29 May 2020 in Nairobi, when two very different communities met to solve different challenges together [15] This exceptional development in this region points to the urgencies of gaining an improved understanding of interrelations between the dynamics of the institutional rural-urban food system mechanisms. Against this background, the main aim of this article is to investigate this best practice example to assist future initiatives to overcome the complex challenges and discuss reasons why it was successful. Learning from such best practices, to be further developed based on insights developed, will assist us in reaching the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2; zero hunger, and SDG 11; sustainable cities and communities, and ensuring sustainability and viability through future food system transitions [16]
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