Shalu Umapathy and her IDEO.org project team kick off a new challenge with the Rockefeller Foundation to better understand food spoilage in Africa.

IDEO.org is excited to be collaborating once again with the Rockefeller Foundation to better understand and create opportunities for change surrounding the issue of post-harvest food spoilage in Africa. Our team – Communications Designer Stacy Barnes and Global Fellows, Rafael Smith and I - will delve into the problem and identify opportunities for design in the context of both Kenya and Senegal. Check out the full design brief by watching our kick off video!

Over the course of this 16-week project, we plan to make a number of field visits, not only better understanding experts in the agricultural value chain but gaining a strong understanding of the behaviors of the smallholder farmers themselves. What is their take on post-harvest food waste? Do they even see it as a problem? And if so, what perspective do they bring to the table?

In an effort to broaden our findings and ensure that they are applicable across the board to many regions, stakeholders, and types of farmers, we need to approach the problem from a number of verticals. How might the situation be different for a subsistence grain farmer versus a cash crop coffee farmer? What are some common behaviors among different stakeholders of the value chain that touch upon this problem?

We look forward to keeping you in the loop as we head to the field for the next few weeks, putting ourselves in the shoes of smallholder farmers. More to come from Nairobi soon!