6. Partnerships for Transitions from Open-Air Markets to Circular Smart Food Markets in Kenya

Similar to the rest of Africa, outdoor open-air markets in Kenya are the main outlets for food commodities flow serving over 90% of the population. These markets are not only critical for access to nutritious food but also shape the national economy through trade. Circular economy solutions are timely in solving some of the pertinent issues that open-air food markets face. The Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) is collaborating with partners including market players, county and national governments, academia, and service providers to implement a project on “Establishment of Smart Food Markets for the Future in Kenya” project in partnership Rockefeller Foundation. The solutions proposed through this project and discussed through this chapter include, but not limited to, waste management through recycling and reuse for farming black soldier flies for insect-based feeds and organic manure for farming foods to be sold back in the markets, thus completing the cycle. Markets are live structures with multiple dynamic social interactions that need multistakeholder engagement to propose, implement, and sustain reforms. Hence, this chapter highlights the role that partnerships could play to enable the implementation of circular solutions at the market level. A detailed and empirical multi-case study method has been applied to write this chapter. An in-depth literature review has been conducted to quantify gaps and a comprehensive stakeholder analysis undertaken to determine their collaboration for the realization of circular smart food markets.