CFPs: A Sustainable Food Banking Strategy for Methane Mitigation (Kenya)

Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry is launching a new initiative to create a sustainable and scalable food banking system that addresses both environmental and social issues. The focus is on diverting edible surplus food to Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and Day Care Centers, especially in underserved regions of the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB), beginning with Kisumu, Vihiga, and Siaya counties.

These institutions play a vital role in child development and serve as controlled environments for delivering nutritious meals. Alongside the food redistribution efforts, the project will conduct baseline assessments to map current food banking activities, evaluate the nutritional status of ECDE beneficiaries, and explore how food banking can be integrated into local policy and governance.

The estimated cost of the project is $500,000. It is expected to enhance Kenya’s knowledge and capacity on organic waste diversion, food recovery, and food-sharing practices. County governments will be supported with new regulatory frameworks and implementation guidelines to use food banking as a strategy for organic waste management.

The project also aims to promote food banking and agriculture recovery demonstration projects, endorsed by the Government of Kenya. Findings from stakeholder workshops will support counties and municipalities in establishing financial instruments and roadmaps to expand food banking within local governance structures.

To be eligible, applicants must be NGOs, IGOs, or other non-profit organizations. Funding requests must align with the estimated budget or provide clear justification for any additional expenses. Projects must be completed within 24 months and follow budget guidelines. Applicants must also provide the last three audited financial statements upon request.

For-profit entities can participate only as stakeholders, co-founders, or end users. Their involvement is encouraged if their role is essential to project success.

Evaluation will be based on clear planning, scalability, relevance to SLCP mitigation, stakeholder involvement, risk awareness, alignment with existing initiatives, demonstrated capacity, cost-effectiveness, and gender equality. Projects must meet at least Score 1 on the OECD DAC gender equality marker.