1. Home
  2. More HAS
  3. News
  4. Project Kenia food loss/waste

Graduating students investigate avocado value chain in Kenya

HAS green academy is working until May 2024 on the FORQLAB project, food loss/waste and food quality in the Kenyan avocado value chain. In a series of graduation assignments, students, lecturers and education and industry partners will take a close look at avocado cultivation in central and western Kenya.

avocado

The students will look for technical solutions throughout the whole avocado chain to minimise current losses. The amount lost after harvest is unfortunately still very high, and avocado quality must also be improved. Our students are working closely together with students and lecturers from Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Meru University in Kenya.

Publication date
15-12-2022

Collaboration between educational institutions

The project is a great example of collaboration between all green academies and universities of applied sciences. Taskforce for Applied Research SIA (Regieorgaan SIA) called for research into food loss / waste and food quality in Kenya. Marjo Baeten and Peter Bouma from HAS International Projects (HIP) answered this call and co-wrote the proposal together with project coordinator Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Aeres University of Applied Sciences and Inholland University of Applied Sciences.

Partners in Kenya were easy to find, thanks to the intensive and enduring partnership between HAS, Egerton University and Meru University. Project leader Peter Bouma is responsible for overseeing the content and progress of each graduation assignment, so that it is possible to present a complete and coherent research project in two years’ time. The project started in early June 2022.

Eight graduation assignments

“In partnership with Inholland, we’re focusing on the avocado value chain with a total of eight graduation research assignments", explains Peter. “Students from both institutions work together in groups on a single business case. Aeres and Van Hall Larenstein will work together on the dairy value chain and deliver a total of 22 individual research assignments.”

As Peter explains, these chains have been selected for a reason. “Both chains are reasonably well organised and our aim is to develop a model that is scalable for other product chains and easy to replicate. For example, think of the more complex tomato or green bean chains. In addition, we are committed to developing two Living Labs, in which the industry can work together with local authorities, education and research services, to create sustainable solutions to complex problems.”

Advice based on research results

The project focuses on two regions in Kenya. “Meru county- in central Kenya - is an established agricultural area. Nandi county in western Kenya is relatively new,” explains Peter. “It’s interesting to compare and contrast the two locations, and zoom in on their similarities and differences. This involves working closely with four cooperatives with a total of more than 1,000 small scale growers. The students are mapping out the avocado chain in both regions, whilst providing advice on implementing successful chain innovations based on their research findings and aimed at sustainability.”

An added bonus is the collaboration with Meru University and Egerton University. “They have shown a great interest in our teaching methods, in both problem based education and project education in collaboration with businesses. Working together allows us to learn from one another and improve education in Kenya by providing teaching packages for the universities, as well as teaching modules for secondary schools and short courses for small scale growers.”

More information about FORQLAB on the project website

Collaboration partners

The following partners are collaborating in the FORQLAB project : HAS green academy, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Meru University of Science & Technology, Egerton University, Abogeta-West Coop, Nandi Coop, Satori, Specialfruits, Airflo – Kenya, Greenport West-Holland, Kitinda Dairy, Kaptama Dairy, Githunguri Dairy, Ante, Q-Point. Associate partners: Alumni Network, KALRO, NFP, TVET-A, Wageningen Livestock Research.