Climate, shocks, weather and maize intensification decisions in rural Kenya*

Abstract

We explore how climate, climate risk and weather affect maize intensification among smallholders in Kenya. We find that each plays an important role in maize intensification choice. The economic implications of this choice are also analyzed. We find that the share of maize area planted to hybrid seeds contributes positively to expected crop income, without increasing exposure to income variability or downside risk. The promotion of maize hybrids is potentially a valuable adaptation strategy to support the well-being of smallholder farmers, especially if these prove tolerant to a wide range of conditions.

Farmers' coping strategies to artisanal small-scale mining activities: welfare improvement or deterioration in Asutifi North District of Ghana?

“…This suggests that adopting at least two coping strategies improves the welfare level of adopters compared to non-adopters. This finding agrees with Alpizar (2007) and Martina et al . (2016), who found comparatively high per capita consumption among households that adopted coping strategies against livelihood shocks in El Salvador and Kenya, respectively.…”

“…This suggests that adopting at least two coping strategies improves the welfare level of adopters compared to non-adopters. This finding agrees with Alpizar (2007) and Martina et al (2016), who found comparatively high per capita consumption among households that adopted coping strategies against livelihood shocks in El Salvador and Kenya, respectively. The potential outcome mean value of Gh₵6,852.17 implies that if all farmers adopt at least two coping strategies, they would have an average consumption expenditure of Gh₵6,852.17, ceteris paribus.…”

Comparing farmers' qualitative evaluation of soil fertility with quantitative soil fertility indicators in Kitui County, Kenya

“…While both intensification and natural diversity can lead to differences in texture and colour, the core concepts used by farmers for their evaluation of soil in both locations was the same. Given national interest in supporting intensification of these soils, understanding the underlying epistemological framings for management decisions by farmers are vital (Bozzola, Smale and Falco, 2016;Verkaart et al, 2017).…”

Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among smallholder farmers in Western Kenya: do socioeconomic, institutional, and biophysical factors matter?

“…Smallholder farmers are faced with multiple climate change shocks, including floods, erratic rains, dry spells, drought, among others [ 50 , 51 ]. The climate change shocks significantly affect agricultural productivity, including total crop failure and livestock losses.…”