Poverty, food insecurity, undernutrition and income inequality remain high in Kenya, particularly in the arid and semi-arid lands. The drought-prone nature of these lands has exacerbated vulnerabilities and led to chronic emergency needs, driven by food insecurity and high rates of acute malnutrition.
In collaboration with Food for Education and Sheffield Facility Solution, NatureLock has created a high-tech industrial food facility that will create food for the future through proper storage and ingenious processing of farm produce such as vegetables and grains.
By preserving fresh produce naturally into tasty, nutritious and affordable foods for all, NatureLock is fighting food waste throughout Africa. Drying right at the source creates more effective transport and warehousing by 70% and lowers the climates footprint. After drying, the food stays good for up to two years. The aim is also to increase the income of farmer communities by providing a scalable system that minimizes post-harvest losses.
NatureLock opened its factory at Old Mombasa Road on Wednesday, June 30th, by bringing together a network of food and agricultural businesses, NGO’s and the Dutch Ambassador in Kenya.
This month, their product called StewsDay, Ready to Eat Ndengu will be available for purchase at 30 shillings around selected retail shops in Nairobi. Instead of boiling green grams for hours, consumers simply add boiling water, stir, wait three minutes and it’s ready. A perfect alternative, for people looking for convenient, healthy and affordable meals.
SHEFFIELD AFRICA’S SCOPE OF WORK
- Cold Storage
11.5 x 4 x3 M walk-in cold storage.
- Production Kitchen
Rational Unit
Vegetable Processor
Boiling Pan
Hot plate grooved and smooth
Dough Mixer Spiral
Extraction and ventilation
- R & D Kitchen
Grease filters
Wall type hood
Wall-mounted cupboard
Neutral cupboard
Double bowl sink
- Floor Drains
Future Goals
The partnership between NatureLock and Sheffield Africa is poised to continue with their new location launching soon. The facility will be set up on land approximately 1 hectare of land (10,000 square meters) to house 3 go-downs and office infrastructures, ample delivery and dispatch, utilities and amenities.
