Newsletter
Don't miss a thing!
We regularly provide you with the most important news, articles, topics, projects and ideas for One World – No Hunger.
Newsletter
Don't miss a thing!
We regularly provide you with the most important news, articles, topics, projects and ideas for One World – No Hunger.
Please also refer to our data protection declaration.
Kenya is a large importer of vetable oils mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia - amongst them sunflower oil. Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there were supply bottlenecks and food shortages, leading to less affordable vegetable oils in Kenya. As a response to the lack of supply, the Sanga'alo Institute of Science and Technology, took that impulse, teamed up with the GIZ and established regional cultivation and refinement of sunflowers.
To meet the growing demand for cooking oil, Sang’alo Institute of Science and Technology (SIST) in Bungoma County has ventured into sunflower crop production.
The shortage of cooking oil has been occasioned by the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war which has seen a drastic drop in raw products for making oil.
The institution, based in Bungoma has partnered with the Germany Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to support growing of the cash crop on 200-acres of college land.
The growing started in mid-September where it was done in three phases with the harvest from the first phase already processed. “We set up the project to address the growing demand for cooking oil whose production had dropped following the war in Ukraine and Russia,” said the chief principal at the institution Dr Rosebella Chukwu.
Kenya is a large importer of vegetable oils such as sunflower oils, soybean, corn oil and commonly used crude palm oil mainly from Malaysia and Indonesia, which produce more than 90 per cent of global supplies. Once the sunflower oil has been processed, the institute plans to pack it into half litre selling at Sh150, a litre at Sh300 and five litres at Sh1,500. From this, they hope to earn Sh40, 000 per acre in every planting season. The institution will also offer expert knowledge to farmers on how to grow sunflowers in a diversification bid aimed at stopping over-reliance on sugarcane farming.
“The long-term goal is to ensure the growth of sunflower gains momentum in this region since it is evident that this venture has good returns compared to other cash crops like sugar cane,” said the head of the agriculture department Mr Moses Sirengo.
Dr Chukwu said the institution is already working on branding and packaging of the processed oil, which will be available in shops within Bungoma County and beyond to meet the market demand for sunflower oil which is healthier. According to studies, sunflower seed oil can be considered to be one of the healthiest ingredients for cooking. It contains both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. “Once we are through with packaging and branding, our product will soon be on the shelves of local supermarkets in the county. Later on, we will spread our wings to other parts of the country. This will also generate income for the institution,” Dr Chukwu said.
The institution is also banking on GIZ to supply them with machinery to boost its production with the current production being done with machinery borrowed from the Mabanga Farmers Training College. “This venture has also provided job opportunities to 50 locals who work as labourers on the farm and others operate the machines. This is expected to grow as the venture takes shape in the coming days,” said Mr Sirengo.
Sunflower seeds help in making soap, cooking oil, soaps, cosmetics, animal feeds, and fuel. Farmers can also sell their seeds to other farmers or companies. The institution, which was set up in 1924 as a veterinary centre was upgraded 1977 to the level of a technical training institute is eyeing the status of a national polytechnic with the current student population being 4,568. The institute is determined to be a centre of excellence in agriculture and has a master plan to achieve that goal. Apart from the sunflower oil, the college is planning to diversify into sunflower cake and has so far had a number of field days with the farmers on the same. “We look forward to partnering with Bungoma County Government on training students on important technical skills,” added Dr Chukwu. Prof Edwin Ataro board chair of Sang’alo welcomed the cooperation of GIZ as it will go a long way in transforming the economy.
“The sunflower project will be a big success story,” said Prof Ataro.
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has serious consequences for the world’s food systems, leading to supply bottlenecks and food shortages. The most affected food items are wheat, maize and edible oil. Consequently, the market prices of these products have risen significantly worldwide. With the hopes of mitigating the impact of the global food system crisis, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has already contributed 31.9 million euros in additional funding, which is being administered through the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). So far, €16.2 million of this amount has already been implemented jointly through the Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture (i4Ag) and nine other GIZ projects as part of the Emergency Food Crisis Response, which is active in over 24 countries.
As part of these efforts, the Global Project on Rural Employment with a Focus on Youth (GV BLR) is collaborating with the Sang’alo Institute of Science and Technology (SIST) Agricultural School in Kenya. Together, they promote the regional cultivation of sunflowers as well as the refinement into high-quality edible oil.
Read more Ideas on the ground: Local solutions for global challenges
Read more “Corona exposes the weaknesses of our nutritional systems"
Read more Ebay Against Hunger - How an App Supports Crop Sale of Rural Small Holders in Zambia
Read more Reference values: A building block on the road to social equality
Read more Ms Rudloff, what are the benefits of a supply chain law?
Read more Global responsibility: Tackling hunger is the only way forward
Read more Freed from trade? Towards a fairer EU Trade Agenda
Read more Statement from GAFSP Co-Chairs: GAFSP and COVID-19 Pandemic
Read more Sustainable Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in Rural Areas
Read more Nine Harvests Left until 2030: How Will the BMZ Organise Itself in the Future?
Read more The Future of Development Politics: Voices from the Parliamentary Groups
Read more Do import restrictions really benefit the local poor in West Africa?
Read more New legal initiatives towards deforestation-free supply chains as a game changer
Read more Achieving more together – New forms of cooperation for sustainability in the cotton sector
Read more Côte d’Ivoire: Sweet Temptation without a Bitter Taste
Read more Fair Trade and Climate Justice: Everything is Conntected
Read more The Rice Sector in West Africa: A Political Challenge
Read more Controversy: Do supply chains need liability rules?
Read more Is the international community still on track in the fight against hunger?
Read more Biodiversity and agriculture – rivalry or a new friendship?
Read more Mr. Marí, what happened at the alternative summit?
Read more What is wrong with our nutrition in Germany, Mr. Plagge ?
Read more How Can We Feed The World in Times of Climate Change?
Read more Cooperation and Effective Incentives for Sustainable Land Use
Read more What Needs to Change for Africa’s Youth, Ms Kah Walla?
Read more How to Enhance Soil Organic Carbon – Uniting Traditional and Innovative Practices
Read more Digitalization: The Driving Force in the Future of Agriculture?
Read more Our Food Systems are in Urgent Need of Crisis-Proofing: what needs to be done
Read more "Human capital will play a pivotal role in the transformation of African economies"
Read more Sustainable, feminist and socially just: The new Africa strategy of the BMZ
Read more The importance of water for sustainable rural development
Read more 2022, a year of crisis – What does it mean for African trade and food security?
Read more How the War against Ukraine Destabilizes Global Grain Markets
Read more 5 Questions for Jann Lay: What is Corona doing to the economy?
Read more “More of the same is not enough - we need to rethink”
Read more Farmers' organizations want to be involved in designing agricultural policy
Read more Answers from the youth: "Leave or stay? That depends on it!"
Read more From start to finish: a vision of interconnectivity
We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help to improve your user experience. Your consent is voluntary and can be revoked at any time on the "Privacy" page.
Protects against cross-site request forgery attacks
Saves the current PHP session.
Content from third-party providers, such as YouTube, which collect data about usage. Third-party content embedded on this website will only be displayed to you if you expressly agree to this here.
We use Matomo analytics software, which collects anonymous data about website usage and functionality to improve our website and user experience.