Beyond multinationals: a study on food systems public-private partnerships for diets and nutrition in Kenya

Mittal, N. (2026) Beyond multinationals: a study on food systems public-private partnerships for diets and nutrition in Kenya. PhD thesis, University of Reading. doi: 10.48683/1926.00129187

Abstract/Summary

Kenya faces a triple burden of malnutrition, comprising undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising rates of overweight and obesity. To address these challenges, governments and development partners wish to engage with the private sector, yet limited evidence exists on which private sector actors should be involved and how such partnerships can be developed and governed. This thesis examines how public-private partnerships can be designed and governed to improve diets and nutrition in Kenya. This study is based on my published works, which employed a mixed-methods approach to identify key stakeholders, their roles, partnership structures, and enabling and constraining factors. Findings indicate that public-private partnerships (PPPs) aimed at improving diets and nutrition should take the form of multi-stakeholder platforms involving government, non governmental organisations (NGOs), and diverse private sector actors, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises, which play a critical role in Kenyan food systems. Non contractual, flexible partnerships were found to be suitable, allowing for the inclusion of new actors over time, though challenges of such a model included financial constraints and weak accountability mechanisms. Several enabling factors were identified, including strong government commitment, dedicated human resources for coordination, and early engagement of private sector actors through business member organisations. Constraints included inadequate funding for partnership activities, weak mechanisms for ensuring business accountability, and limited interest from large companies due to unclear commercial incentives. The study concludes that PPPs designed to improve diets and tackle multiple forms of malnutrition in Kenya should also engage micro, small, and medium enterprises and actors from non-food sectors. By providing insights from a low- and middle-income country context, it helps fill the evidence gap on developing nutrition-focused PPPs and to rebalance the literature that is dominated by high-income countries.

Item Type	Thesis (PhD)
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/129187
Identification Number/DOI	10.48683/1926.00129187
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
Date on Title Page	September 2025
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