Alternative Sourcing

At Kumbatia, most of the fishers and dealers we work with are men - many of whom are quite old. This means that while our presence in Kenya’s coastal communities contributes to economic development, women and youth are rarely the direct beneficiaries of our intervention. As a result, Kumbatia has developed an alternative products department where we strive to source sustainable, high-value non-seafood products from our partner fishing communities in an attempt to create supplemental forms of income for women, youth, and other community members not involved in our seafood supply chain.

This element of our business has led us to Tsunza in Kwale County and Amani Jipange in Kilifi County, where we source a high-value mangrove honey known for its Manuka-like medicinal benefits and caramel finish. In Kibuyuni, Kwale County, we additionally source two species of red algae - Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum. Seaweed helps improve bodily functions, including lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. While primarily used as a natural food thickener, it is also a superfood supplement and a key ingredient for all-natural hair care products. We are additionally developing a supply chain for Indian almonds (Terminalia catappa), locally known as "kungu". With similar characteristics to the water-intensive almond crop, we are in the initial stages of developing a more sustainable cold-pressed almond oil alternative for the global cosmetics industry.

These alternative products are all still in the pilot stages, but we are excited about the potential of each non-seafood item to sustainably develop coastal communities in an attempt to provide supplemental forms of income for community members historically removed from fishing supply chains.