Circular food systems in Kenya: Exploring the role of livestock

Résumé fourni par la source

East Africa is one of the world's most food-insecure regions, emphasizing the need for increased animal-source food (ASF) consumption while minimizing environmental impact. Circular food systems enable livestock to convert low-opportunity-cost feed (LOCF) into ASF, potentially enhancing food security. This study assessed livestock's role in circular food systems in Nakuru County, Kenya, by identifying livestock types, LOCF allocation, and potential ASF output when relying solely on LOCF. The feed-allocation model FEEDSOM was adapted to allocate available LOCF among livestock while maximizing ASF output. LOCF availability was based on current crop and forage production and existing livestock conditions. Three scenarios were tested: incorporating protein-rich co-products, converting food losses and waste into insects, and adopting high-performance livestock breeds. Using LOCF provided 18.4 g of animal-source protein (ASP) per capita per day while reducing total livestock numbers. However, a shortage of high-quality ingredients limited LOCF utilization, as shown by increased ASP/capita/day when protein-rich co-products (+4.4 g) or BSF larvae meal (+1.6 g) were included. High-performance breeds were unsuited to the tropics when relying solely on LOCF, resulting in a reduced ASP/capita/day (− 11.5 g). Constraints such as limited high-quality feed, inefficient use of bulky, low-quality LOCF, and the exclusion of certain livestock types due to nutrient deficiencies highlight challenges in transitioning to circular food systems. This research introduces circular food system modelling in East Africa and highlights key constraints, offering insights for future studies on resource allocation and sustainable livestock production. • Resource use based on circular principles increases protein availability. • Adding additional high-quality feed increases the protein availability. • High-performance breeds fed locally available feed are unsuited to the tropics.

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