Kenya's food crisis has deepened, with an estimated 2.8 million people facing severe acute food insecurity in 2025, according to the Global Report on Food Crises 2025. For many farmers in Kenya, the struggle isn't just about growing food; it's about keeping their livestock alive when feed prices soar beyond reach.
That's what inspired a group of farmers in Taita Taveta County to start producing their own animal feed: a simple yet powerful idea supported by the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) through its Integrated Food Security and Livelihood (IFSL) Project.
"Most Kenyans are practicing subsistence farming," explains Lucy Sembei, programme manager at the Kenya Red Cross Society.
"They may never get to place where farming allows them to meet their economic needs. So at Kenya Red Cross, we took a moment to think strategically about how to better support communities in slow-onset emergencies as well."
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Innovation at the grassroots
Initially, the Kenya Red Cross provided poultry feed as part of its emergency relief support. But as drought worsened and feed prices climbed -- a 90-kilogram bag of maize reached nearly USD 50 in early 2025 -- communities found themselves dependent on aid once again.
"As long as they depended on the Red Cross to buy feed, their food security would last only as long as the project. Beyond that, they wouldn't be able to continue poultry farming," says Sembei.
So, rather than stepping in with another short-term fix, Sembei and her team decided to work with farmers and technical experts to design a lasting solution.
Together with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and input from the community, the Kenya Red Cross introduced farmers to two game-changing feed ingredients: black soldier fly larvae and azolla, a fast-growing aquatic fern. Both are high in protein, easy to cultivate locally, and require minimal inputs.
"[The black soldier fly] is a type of insect that's extremely rich in protein," says Sembei. "The eggs produced by hens fed on black soldier flies are far more nutritious than those raised on commercial feed, and the feed itself is cheap and easy for farmers to produce."
Training sessions helped farmers learn how to set up small-scale production systems, using simple materials to cultivate both the larvae and azolla at home. Soon, farmers were experimenting with different feed combinations and sharing their success with neighboring communities.
"We went for training and received a donation of 30 chickens. Now I have sixty chickens. I sell eggs, I sell chicks. I can now pay my bills and school fees for my grandchildren." Jane Mbula, one of the participants in the Kenya Red Cross programme
A meaningful impact
The project has had a meaningful impact on both food security and local livelihoods since its launch in 2021. Now, the 135 farmers supported by the project produce an average of six trays of eggs per month, using them for household consumption and selling the surplus at KSh 450 per tray.
Through project-backed innovations, such as egg incubation for chick production and Azolla farming for protein-rich, low-cost feed, farmers have boosted egg yield and quality while cutting commercial feed use from four bags per week to just one in areas like Bura Ndogo and Malukiloriti.
One beneficiary, Jane Mbula, explains: "We went for training and received a donation of 30 chickens. Now I have sixty chickens. I sell eggs, I sell chicks. I can now pay my bills and school fees for my grandchildren."
Beyond poultry farming, the project has achieved broad, far-reaching results across Taita Taveta County.
So far, 3,405 people have participated; including 600 crop farmers, 2,000 sunflower growers, 80 beekeepers, 300 goat keepers, 40 rabbit farmers, and 150 mothers and 250 youth engaged in nutrition and savings schemes.
As Sembei explains: "As we work in this space, our focus is on making food production more affordable for communities. Now that we're encouraging durable, sustainable solutions, we're also asking: how can communities produce without having to invest more than they can afford?
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That's something we're doing very deliberately -- not on our own, but in close consultation with communities, research institutions, and learning centers across the country. The goal is to identify what's already within reach, so that communities can continue their work independently, even beyond project funding."
The road to Zero Hunger
The Integrated Food Security Project is one of several programs receiving support from the Africa Zero Hunger campaign, recently launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The campaign shines a light on sustainable, community-driven solutions, highlighting the importance of investing in programs that strengthen local resilience and address the root causes of food insecurity across Africa.
