Unido campaign targets food sellers in war against Covid-19

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) has launched a communication campaign to sensitise stakeholders on food safety amid Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign, which will run through online platforms as well as mainstream media, aims at informing different stakeholders, including producers, transporters, traders and consumers among others.

A spot check at markets around Nakuru town revealed that both traders and shoppers were either ignorant or under-informed on safety measures which they need to take.

NO DISTANCING

At Free Area market for example, two women bend, close together, almost touching each other, as they select green maize for a shopper. One of them has a mask, while the other does not have.

At another stall in the same market, a seller hands over a plastic bowl to a customer to put tomatoes. Once the customer is done, hands back the bowl to the seller.

The seller immediately pours some notes in the same bowl, as she sorts them out to get change for the buyer.

CASHLESS SYSTEM

The need to use cashless money transfer as a way of mitigating the spread of Covid-19 among food sellers and buyers is among messages being promoted by Unido through a project dubbed Market Access Upgrade Program (MARKUP).

The project is funded by the European Union, and is being implemented by among other partners, Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya, the Ministry of Trade and Industrialisation and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA).

At Afraha Stadium market in the outskirts of Nakuru town, the county government has squarely played its role by relocating traders from the originally congested Wakulima market.

Each of the traders has a stall and they are able to keep distance of about two meters from each other.

However, some traders neither observe the recommended distance between themselves nor between them and the buyers.

CROWDING

Worse still is a man playing guitar at some stall within the market, entertaining both traders and shoppers, some of whom put some money in his pockets.

Oblivious of the risk they could be putting themselves in, people crowd around the ‘musician’, some singing along, while others dance to his lyrics.

Unido will be distributing posters across 15 counties including Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Machakos and Kajiado among others. MARKUP is implemented in 12 counties.

The project aims at enhancing competitiveness along macadamia, groundnuts, chili, French beans, snow peas among other food value chains. Besides, it also aims at creating awareness on food safety, especially along the targeted value chains.

The posters will mainly be distributed at market places, supermarkets and malls and will carry different messages to suit various audiences.

MESSAGES

Among the messages being passed include the need to wash hands with soap before handling food and the need to keep a safe distance of at least two meters between buyers and traders.

While wearing masks and gloves would be the most ideal thing to do, this option may be expensive especially for the small scale traders. However, some innovative traders and buyers are using washable masks which last longer, thus, are cost effective.

Unido’s Chief Technical Advisor for MARKUP project Stefano Sedola emphasises on the need to use these two gadgets as well as the need to wash hands with soap while handling food.

CONTAMINATION

Leafy vegetables are prone to microbial contamination such as E. Coli and Salmonella spp., while in the field contamination may happen during harvesting, in post-harvest handling, processing, distribution and marketing.

Currently, an additional risk to the food system including vegetables and fruits is the Covid-19 which can be transmitted to surfaces by infected individuals.

MARKUP Project, Sedola adds, will work to create awareness and influence positive change in food handling through a communication campaign.

Besides, the project will work with the national and county governments in defining mitigation measures.