Making the Economic Case for Sustainable Food Systems in Cherang’any, Mau Forest Complex and Loita Hills Water Towers

The True Value of Food Kenya Project aims to make the economic case for sustainable food systems across three critical water towers—Cherang’any Forest, Mau Forest Complex, and Loita Hills. These landscapes provide essential ecosystem services such as water filtration, soil retention, and biodiversity support, yet they face severe degradation from deforestation, agricultural expansion, climate pressures, and unregulated land use. Agriculture contributes 33% to Kenya’s GDP and supports over 70% of rural livelihoods, but its expansion has damaged ecosystems and undermined long-term food security. Building on earlier work in the Mau Forest Complex, the current phase—funded by the IKEA Foundation—models environmental and economic indicators to compare “business-as-usual” and sustainable land-use scenarios. Through ecoregion analysis, economic valuation, and extensive stakeholder engagement, the project identifies nature-positive policy options and strengthens local governance. Expected outcomes include better integration of ecosystem services into policy, actionable recommendations for climate-resilient food systems, and community-driven conservation.