Turning Kenya’s beef and fisheries into engines of industrial growth

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

Kenya’s beef and fisheries sectors are too often discussed through the lens of production: how many animals are reared, how much beef reaches the market, how many tonnes of fish are landed, or how quickly aquaculture can expand.

Production is important, but it is only the beginning of the economic story. The greater opportunity lies in obtaining more value from every animal, fish and stage of the chain. A cow is not only meat; it is hides, leather, fats, bones, offal, pharmaceuticals, animal feed ingredients, organic fertiliser, branded cuts, processed foods and exportable products. Fish can become fillets, frozen portions, smoked products, fish oil, fishmeal, ready-to-cook meals, animal feed inputs and branded nutrition products.

This shift in thinking is essential because countries do not become prosperous by selling raw commodities alone. Wealth is created when raw products are transformed into industries. Kenya’s livestock and fisheries economy must therefore move from selling live animals, carcasses, fresh fish and informal market products towards more sophisticated goods and services for domestic, regional and global markets. Urban consumers increasingly demand convenience, safety, consistency, traceability, packaging and quality. Hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, airlines, schools, hospitals and export buyers do not simply buy animals or fish; they buy reliable supply, standardised products, certification, branding, logistics and trust. The country that organises itself to meet these demands captures the greatest share of value.

For pastoralists, fishermen and fish farmers, the current commodity model often leaves them at the weakest point of the chain. They carry the production risks but receive only a small portion of the final consumer price. A pastoralist may sell an animal under distress during drought, while others later earn more from slaughter, transport, retail, processing and by-products. A fisherman may sell fresh fish quickly because of weak cold storage, while downstream actors gain from freezing, filleting, packaging and distribution. The central policy question, therefore, is not only how to produce more beef and fish, but how to ensure producers and regional enterprises participate in higher-value activities.

Value creation begins with better organisation. Livestock and fish must move through more predictable, transparent and efficient systems. Producer aggregation, cooperatives, contract farming, organised livestock markets, modern fish landing sites and digital market platforms can reduce fragmentation and give producers stronger bargaining power. When supply is aggregated and quality is known, processors can plan, investors can finance facilities, buyers can sign contracts and producers can negotiate better prices.

Without organisation, increased production may simply deepen informality, depress prices and expose producers to middlemen who understand the market better than they do.

The next layer of value lies in logistics and cold-chain infrastructure. Beef and fish are highly perishable, and value is lost whenever handling, storage, transport and temperature control are weak. Poor cold chains result in spoilage, food safety risks, distressed sales and exclusion from premium markets. Investment in refrigerated transport, cold rooms, ice plants, modern abattoirs, hygienic slaughter facilities, fish landing centres, distribution hubs and last-mile delivery systems would reduce losses and broaden market reach. Cold chains are not merely support infrastructure; they are value-creating assets that determine whether products remain low-margin commodities or become reliable inputs for formal retail, processing and export.

Processing is where the transformation from commodity to industry becomes most visible. In beef, this entails moving beyond live animal sales and basic meat cuts into branded packaged meats, sausages, canned and cured products, ready-to-cook portions, pet food, leather goods, collagen, bone meal, tallow and organic fertiliser. In fisheries, it means filleting, freezing, smoking, drying, canning, fish oil extraction, fishmeal, packaged portions and convenience products. These activities extend shelf life, reduce waste, create skilled jobs and allow Kenya to serve more demanding markets. They also create industrial linkages with packaging, design, food science, machinery maintenance, certification, retail, advertising and export services.

Packaging and branding are equally important but frequently underestimated. A product that is carefully cut, weighed, labelled, sealed, certified and branded enters a different market from one sold informally without identity or assurance. Consumers increasingly want information on origin, freshness, safety, nutrition and sustainability. Traceability can help Kenya differentiate its products, especially where livestock is raised in distinctive ecological zones or fish is sourced from managed aquaculture and certified landing sites. Branding also lets regions build reputations around quality. Kenya should not simply sell meat and fish; it should build trusted product identities that command better prices.

Technology can accelerate this transformation. Digital traceability systems can monitor animals and fish from source to market, improving disease control, food safety, certification and consumer confidence. Data platforms can provide information on prices, demand, weather, disease outbreaks, feed availability, water quality and market requirements. Mobile payments, digital credit scoring, insurance products and e-commerce platforms can help producers and small enterprises access finance and buyers.

In aquaculture, sensors, improved feeds, hatchery technologies and water monitoring can improve productivity and reduce mortality. In livestock, animal identification, veterinary records, breeding data and climate information can improve herd management and access to premium markets. Technology should not replace traditional knowledge, but strengthen it and connect producers to modern value chains.

Finance is another critical part of the ecosystem. Moving from commodity trading to industrial value creation requires capital for cold rooms, boats, cages, ponds, feed mills, abattoirs, processing machinery, packaging lines, vehicles, quality laboratories and working capital. Yet many producers and small enterprises remain outside formal finance because they lack collateral, records, contracts or predictable cash flows.

Value-chain finance can change this through lending secured by supply contracts, warehouse receipts, cooperative aggregation, buyer commitments, insurance cover and digital transaction histories. Public institutions, commercial banks, development finance institutions, insurers and impact investors should design products that match the realities of livestock and fisheries rather than force these sectors into inappropriate lending models.

Services will also shape the sector’s future. Veterinary care, extension, feed formulation, equipment repair, refrigeration maintenance, food safety testing, certification, market intelligence, business development, logistics management, quality assurance and export documentation are not peripheral activities. They are part of the industrial architecture that enables beef and fisheries to compete. These services create opportunities for youth, women, professionals, technicians, entrepreneurs and local firms. A modern meat and fisheries industry will therefore be measured not only by the number of animals slaughtered or tonnes of fish harvested, but by the size and advancement of the service economy around them.

The benefits of this ecosystem approach are wide-ranging. It would raise producer incomes by allowing pastoralists, fishermen and fish farmers to participate in better-organised markets. It would create jobs in transport, processing, packaging, inspection, digital services, refrigeration, retail, finance and exports. It would reduce waste and improve food safety by strengthening cold chains and standards. It would expand manufacturing by turning by-products into inputs for leather, feed, fertiliser, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other industries. It would support food security by making nutritious protein more available, affordable and reliable. It would also strengthen Kenya’s export position by helping the country supply products that meet contemporary safety, quality and traceability standards.

However, the transition has to be inclusive. Modernisation should not displace small producers in favour of large firms. Instead, pastoralists, fishermen, fish farmers, women traders and youth enterprises should be integrated through cooperatives, contract arrangements, shared infrastructure, affordable finance, skills development and fair market rules. County governments have a key role because production, landing sites, livestock markets, local roads, water systems and extension services are anchored locally.

The national government must provide policy coherence, standards, export diplomacy, disease control, research, incentives and regulatory coordination. Private investors must bring capital, technology, discipline and market access, while universities and research institutions should support innovation in animal health, aquaculture, feed systems, climate resilience, food science and data.

Kenya’s next great opportunity in beef and fisheries is therefore not simply to produce more, but to create more value from what it already produces and what it can produce better. The strategic challenge is to move from livestock and fish as raw commodities to the foundation of contemporary industries. That requires logistics, cold chains, processing, packaging, technology, services, finance, standards and markets working together. If Kenya makes this shift, pastoral lands, lakes, rivers, coastal waters, fish farms, abattoirs, landing sites, factories, laboratories, trucks, cold rooms, digital services and retail shelves will become part of one integrated economic system. In that system, each animal and fish will generate more income, jobs, nutrition, exports and industrial capability. This is the future Kenya should pursue: not simply larger production, but smarter value creation.

Bitange Ndemo is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi. Liesbeth Bakker is an expert in AI, productivity and value chains.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.