In Nairobi’s populous suburbs, where space is scarce and fresh produce often travels great distances, hydroponic cultivation of vegetables is emerging as a revolutionary solution.
This innovative farming technique, which involves growing plants without soil, offers a sustainable and efficient way to produce locally-sourced vegetables right within the city. City farmers can utilise small spaces such as rooftops, balconies, and even indoor setups to grow food.
This is one of the techniques scientists at Kenyatta University are testing in their quest to raise awareness and promote adoption of innovative food production technologies among Nairobi's population.
The Kenyatta University Living Lab (KU-LL), which is testing this and other innovative techniques, is one of the eight Living Labs (LLs) established in six countries in East, West, and Central Africa through the Circular Technologies for Sustainable City Region Food Systems in Africa (INCiTiS-FOOD) project.
The entire INCiTiS-FOOD project is funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, for Sh780.5 million.
It aims to enhance Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) in African city regions while reducing the environmental footprint of food systems through circular practices.
In Kenya, the project has established an innovation laboratory at KU and at Egerton University.
"The INCiTiS-FOOD project is set to transform agri-food supply chains and promote environmental justice and sustainability across communities," said a statement from Kenyatta University.
The entire project integrates cutting-edge technologies, stakeholder engagement, capacity-building, and collaborative partnerships between Europe and Africa to create circular agri-food solutions tailored for African urban environments.
Key components of the project include soilless crop farming (hydroponics), Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), and insect farming.
These methods aim to address the resource constraints faced by urban populations, particularly youth, women, and marginalized groups.
A statement said Kenyatta University’s Living Lab (KU-LL) serves as a dynamic testing ground for sustainable food production prototypes in confined urban spaces.
"Through a community-based, multi-actor approach, KU-LL engages with youth, women, agri-entrepreneurs, and SMEs to develop simplified prototypes for aquaponics, hydroponics, and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), as well as integrated animal-sourced food systems," the statement explained.
It said the initiative ensures the practicality and scalability of innovations in urban agricultural settings by partnering with urban farmers, academic institutions, and local experts
KU-LL collaborates with the Chandaria Business and Innovation Centre to support incubating innovators through Open Calls funding, further promoting circular technologies in urban agriculture.
Leading the KU-LL team is Prof. Grace Wamue-Ngare, alongside researchers from the Departments of Gender Studies, Agriculture, and Plant Sciences.
“With ongoing research on Black Soldier Flies (BSF) as a sustainable feed source for Tilapia fish, hydroponic cultivation of indigenous vegetables, and gender analysis within value chains, the project aims to raise awareness and promote adoption of innovative food production technologies among Nairobi's population,” the statement said.
Kenyatta University Living Lab has a longstanding collaboration with urban farmers, driven by its dedication to community engagement and sustainable development.
Actively seeking partnerships with urban farmers, academic institutions, and local experts, KU-LL addresses food security and environmental sustainability challenges in Nairobi City and its surroundings.
KU-LL said it harneses local knowledge and expertise from urban farmers to develop and test sustainable food production prototypes in confined urban spaces.
Regular visits to the lab by adopters and reciprocal farm visits by the KU team foster a mutually beneficial ecosystem of knowledge exchange and innovation, the statement said.
“As an integral part of the broader INCiTiS-FOOD project, KU-LL strengthens its partnerships with urban farmers, underscoring its ongoing commitment to advancing inclusive and sustainable urban food systems in Africa,” the statement said.