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Celebrating Traditional Foods: Roots & Recipes Promotes Nutrition, Culture & Sustainability in East Africa

Date

July 26, 2025
The "Roots & Recipes" series by Vi Agroforestry celebrates the richness of East Africa’s indigenous foods and their role in promoting sustainable agriculture and nutrition. In 2024, the event in Kitale brought together farmers, chefs, and nutrition experts to highlight traditional crops and cooking practices.
More than a meal: As the meal is served, Ugali wa Mtama na Muhogo takes its rightful place at the center of the table. Surrounded by Kunde, Sangara fish, and beans.
Prisila Mgendi sits with her family around a large, wooden table, everyone smiling as they share the meal she has prepared. The simple joy of togetherness is captured in the moment.

In 2024, Vi Agroforestry hosted a special event in Kitale, Kenya as part of its “Roots & Recipes” series—a celebration of indigenous foods, culinary heritage, and nutrition education. This regional initiative brings farmers, food champions, chefs, and nutrition experts together to showcase the value of traditional vegetables and sustainable agroforestry practices in promoting food and nutrition security.

Prisila Mgendi beams with pride as she holds up the vibrant harvest from her garden, embodying the spirit of self-sufficiency and the joy of cultivating her own food

Through vibrant live cooking demonstrations, farmer storytelling, and nutrition workshops, the Kitale edition of “Roots & Recipes” created a powerful moment of community engagement. The event also spotlighted local women producers and traditional dishes that have sustained communities for generations, reaffirming the link between food, culture, and climate resilience.

A pot of traditional meal at the roots and recipes event in Kitale.
Event attendees at the Roots & Recipes event

The event was promoted across social media platforms, generating strong engagement and drawing interest from new stakeholders in agroecology and food systems.

Participants shared stories of how traditional crops like amaranth, cassava, and cowpeas contribute to both nutrition and income security, particularly in dryland areas where resilience is essential. Local chefs and farmers co-created a live menu featuring indigenous recipes passed down through generations.

The “Roots & Recipes” series continues to tour across East Africa, reinforcing Vi Agroforestry’s mission to combine climate-smart agriculture, community knowledge, and gender equality in food system transformation.

📷 Explore highlights from the Kitale event
🔗 Learn more about Vi Agroforestry’s work in food and nutrition security

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