Methods to measure the food environment and a reflection on good practices for engaging the private sector


The Marketplace for Nutritious Foods (MNF) is a platform that fosters innovation and drives investment in the processing, packaging and/or of nutritious foods in Kenya, Rwanda, and Mozambique with the goal of improving nutrition through improved availability and affordability of nutritious food. 

Processes and methods are needed to systematically identify those learnings to inform the MNF strategy. With the support of USAID, a series of case studies of the MNF were undertaken to:

  1. Identify, test, and apply innovative data collection methods for key outcome indicators of increased access to nutritious foods, at the consumer and market level by the MNF businesses;
  2. Identify successes and constraints experienced by businesses in achieving their goals, and assess the performance of the MNF Accelerator program in terms of its relevance and effectiveness to address key barriers for businesses; and
  3. Identify the future potential and strategies for the MNF program and business models that would support further efficiencies, scale, and sustainability of reach through a cross-country review and analysis of case-studies.

This work took place between September 2016 and December 2017 in all three of the countries where MNF operates, Kenya, Rwanda, and Mozambique. The following report provides a consolidation of the findings, their implications for the achievements of the Marketplace program to date, and a series of recommendations to strengthen the design and potential for impact of the Marketplace moving forward.