Kalehe Territory in South-Kivu Province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)suffers from food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty because of many factors including climate change. Of the 26 Provinces in the DRC, South-Kivu Province leads with the highest proportion of stunted children under five at 53%. Within South-Kivu Province, Kalehe Territory leads in the prevalence of chronic malnutrition prevalence at 66%, far exceeding the provincial average of 53%.

The growing food demand occasioned by the rising global population is emerging a major issue of global concern. This implies that food production needs to increase in order to meet global food demand. Studies show that more than one-third of the global food production is lost through post harvest operations along food supply chain.

Stephen Waitugi says tomato farming is of a significant economic importance in Kenya as it is one of the key enterprises among small-holder farmers. However, despite the economic importance, the sector still faces numerous challenges. This includes agronomic challenges such as pests and diseases and physiological disorders, poor post-harvest technologies and institutional constraints such as lack of access to credit and poorly organized rural and urban market infrastructures that permit unpredictable price fluctuation.