During one of HarvestPlus’ regular visits as part of the Integration of Biofortified Crops in School Feeding Programs project, which is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation through AGRA and supported by HarvestPlus, we stopped by St. Francis Kiptulon Secondary School, a boys’ school in Kenya with 728 students. There, we met the principal, Mr. Francis Kunusia.

After attending a school principals’ meeting in November 2023, Mr. Kunusia decided to grow Nyota beans at the school during the short rainy season of 2024 and established a 1.5-acre bean field. The project’s goal is to increase awareness and demand for Nyota beans by giving farmers access to certified seeds, providing training on crop production, and creating collective marketing opportunities. Nyota is one of the iron biofortified bean varieties developed by HarvestPlus and its partners that not only provides more iron in the diet but also is high yielding with agronomic, taste, and cooking traits demanded by farming families.

Mr. Kunusia explained, “I will use the beans from this field as seed and exchange them with parents for the mixed beans they usually bring to offset school fees. This will help ensure that, in the future, parents will mainly bring Nyota beans, which are more nutritious for the boys.” At the school, parents are given priority to deliver grain before the school turns to traders. Mr. Kunusia highlighted three benefits of this arrangement:

More parents are able to pay school fees by contributing grain instead of cash, and until now normally brought a mix of traditional bean varieties. There are no additional transportation costs since the beans will come directly from parents. Finally, parents will supply freshly harvested grain, ensuring better quality. “In 2023, we could not source beans locally, so we had to team up with three neighboring schools and order from suppliers in Uganda,” Mr. Kunusia added.

As we walked to the bean field, Mr. Kunusia pointed out a display of past and current students who had participated in international competitions. He proudly mentioned that the boys are excited about the Nyota beans, and that the school plans to involve the athletics club in planting them. “The club will grow the beans as a way to generate income for their training programs. We will sell the beans to the school at the market price,” he said.

Behind the school kitchen, we saw stacks of firewood used for cooking. Mr. Kunusia anticipates that switching to Nyota beans will reduce the school’s firewood consumption. “We cook beans every day, and a fast-cooking variety will save both fuel and time,” he noted while showing us a pot of githeri (a mix of maize and beans), which was being served for lunch.

Over 200 schools in Bomet, Narok, Embu, and Elgeyo Marakwet have already introduced Nyota beans to their students, and the number keeps growing. School gardens, like the one at St. Francis, offer students practical, hands-on learning experiences, preparing future farmers to succeed. The introduction of biofortified Nyota beans is a collaborative effort between the Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Health, recognizing that food and nutrition require a multi-disciplinary approach.