Climate change through a gendered lens: Examining livestock holder food security

Background: At the centre of smallholders' adaptation is a need to understand their perceptions on key climatic scenarios so as to glean helpful information for key decision-making processes. In Kenya at the moment, downstream information regarding these circumstances remain scanty, with many smallholders being 'on their own', in spite of the imminent threats from shifting precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and intensifying droughts. At the sub-national levels, potential impacts of these situations are likely to deepen due to extensive cases of land use transformations, habitat degradation, plummeting water resources capacity and common inter-ethnic conflicts, among other negative externalities. The study examined current climatic situations in Trans-Mara East sub-County, to the south-western part of Kenya, as well as the smallholders' perceptions about the situations, their adaptation levels and constraints thereof. Results: Pearson correlation coefficient, indicated a weak positive association between smallholder's perceptions and either their age, marital status, level of education, or livelihood streams (r ≤ 0.1; p ≥ 0.05, for all), unlike their climatic perceptions and farm sizes which showed a strong positive association (r = 0.430; p ≤ 0.01). Key desired adaptation options, improving crop varieties, livestock feeding techniques and crop diversification, topped their options, with destocking being least desired. Education levels (r = 0.229; p ≤ 0.05) and farm sizes (r = 0.534; p ≤ 0.01) had a positively significant association with adaptive capacity, in addition to a significantly weak, association between their adaptive capacity and both their individual's marital status (r = 0.154; p ≥ 0.05) and diversity of livelihood streams (r = 0.034; p ≥ 0.05). The analysis also showed a weak negative association between their adaptive capacity and age (r = − 0.026; p ≥ 0.05). Amid the key constraints which emerged include high cost of farm inputs, limited access to credit and market uncertainties, among others. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significantly strong negative association between smallholders' constraints and both (r ≥ − 0.3; p ≤ 0.01) their level of education, and diversity of livelihood streams. A significantly strong positive association (r = 0.280; p ≤ 0.01) was identified between smallholder's age and constraints, while marital status and farm sizes both (r ≤ − 0.01; p ≥ 0.05) revealed weak non-significant negative association with the constraints.

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“…These findings agree with other studies (McKune et al 2015;Rigolot et al 2017) on the options for smallholder against climate-related challenges.…”

supporting

confidence: 93%

“…This is especially so among female-headed households compared to male-headed (McKune et al 2015;Mikalitsa 2010). For instance, single mothers' societal roles in the sub-Saharan Africa are often constrained by the ensuing cultural practices such as those pertaining to land tenure and labour utilisation.…”

Section: Adaptation Constraints and Socioeconomic Stratamentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change adaptive capacity and smallholder farming in Trans-Mara East sub-County, Kenya

Simotwo

Mikalitsa

Wambua

2018

Geoenviron Disasters

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“…Still, when this male migration occurs, women tend to maintain subsistence agriculture within the household. With women remaining in the village, many become de facto heads of household and are left with the responsibility of ensuring agricultural activities continue (McKune et al, 2015). This requires a change in roles and responsibilities within the household, and may challenge traditional gender roles within the village.…”

Section: Box 1 Box 1 Women Pastoralists Women Pastoralistsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women and climate change in the Sahel

McOmber¹

2020

West African Papers

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The West African Papers explore African socioeconomic , political and security dynamics from a regional and multidisciplinary perspective. They seek to stimulate discussion and gather information to better anticipate the changes that will shape future policies. The series is designed for a wide audience of specialists, development practitioners, decision makers and the informed public. Papers are available in English and/or French, and summaries are available in both languages. Initiated by the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC) to highlight and promote West African issues, the work presented is prepared by its Secretariat, Members and partners, other OECD departments, related international organisations, associated experts and researchers.

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“…Since time immemorial, domestic animals have been used in a sustainable way: they were used to graze on wasteland, their dung (waste) being used as natural organic manure as well as for the production of biogas, and their milk and meat being used for consumption. The importance and the role of livestock for achieving sustainability and ensuring food security is discussed in many excellent reports (Baudron et al 2015;Franzluebbers et al 2014;Gerber et al 2014;McKune et al 2015;Nardone et al 2010;Schiere et al 2002;Scholten et al 2013). On the other hand, many reports are also available on ensuring sustainability along the poultry chain (e.g.…”

Section: Livestock Poultry and Aquaculturementioning

confidence: 99%