Household food security in semi-arid Africa—the contribution of participatory adaptive research and development to rural livelihoods in Eastern Kenya

Sutherland, Alistair; Irungu, J.; Kang'ara, J. N. N.; Muthamia, J. B.; Ouma, Johnson O.

doi:10.1016/s0306-9192(99)00050-0

Cited by 29 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…• the effects of power and gender relations on the lives of specific groups of people (e.g., women) (Canagarajah et al 2001;Mandel 2004;Oberhauser and Pratt 2004), • the diversity of the strategies used by the rural poor to make a living (Abdulai and CroleRees 2001;Batterbury 2001;Smith et al 2001;Manvell 2006;Yaro 2006), • the success of climate change adaptation strategies Jones et al 2010;Osbahr et al 2010), • the effects of policies on the lives of the poor (Rakodi 1999;Barrett et al 2001), • issues of food security (Sutherland et al 1999;Gladwin et al 2001;Hesselberg and Yaro 2006;Codjoe and Owusu 2011), and • the effects of global environmental change on the poor (Hahn et al 2009). …”

Section: Sustainable Livelihoodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1) include changes in human well-being, income, health, and food security. Food security, through its three pillars, is a livelihood outcome, as it has been conceptualized in the field of sustainable livelihoods (Sutherland et al 1999;Gladwin et al 2001). Natural resource outcomes, also referred to as ''ecosystem services'' (Fisher et al 2013), include (but are not limited to) changes in water, air or soil quality, and biodiversity.…”

Section: The Climate Change Food Security and Livelihoods Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate change, food security, and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

2015

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Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Multiple biophysical, political, and socioeconomic stresses interact to increase the region's susceptibility and constrain its adaptive capacity. Climate change is commonly recognized as a major issue likely to have negative consequences on food security and livelihoods in the region. This paper reviews three bodies of scholarship that have evolved somewhat separately, yet are inherently interconnected: climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation, food security, and sustainable livelihoods. The paper develops a conceptualization of the relationships among the three themes and shows how food security's vulnerabilities are related to multiple stresses and adaptive capacities, reflecting access to assets. Food security represents one of several livelihood outcomes. The framework shows how several research paradigms relate to the issue of food security and climate change and provides a guide for empirical investigations. Recognizing these interconnections can help in the development of more effective policies and programs. The framework is applied here to synthesize findings from an array of studies in subSaharan Africa dealing with vulnerability to climate change, food security, and livelihoods.

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Section: Sustainable Livelihoodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Climate Change Food Security and Livelihoods Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change, food security, and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

2015

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“…Focus group sessions and participatory activities were conducted with the assistance of local facilitators (Sutherland et al 1999, Campbell et al 2001, Kuhnlein et al 2004, Günther and Vogl 2010. These meetings took place over the duration of the field season (June 8-September 12, 2012), providing an opportunity for community input on the research design and results dissemination.…”

Section: Qualitative Data Collection and Participatory Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the contribution of wild edible plants to rural social-ecological resilience in semi-arid Kenya

Shumsky¹,

Hickey²,

Pelletier³

et al. 2014

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are known to make important contributions to food baskets and livelihoods in the smallholder and subsistence farming communities of sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, protecting and promoting the sustainable use of WEPs in concert with more mainstream agricultural innovation efforts has the potential to build household resilience to food insecurity. There is, however, a need to better understand how WEPs contribute to rural livelihoods on a daily basis and act as emergency safety nets during periods of hunger. Focusing on two villages in rural eastern Kenya, we sought to determine which household conditions are correlated with household reliance on WEPs as a coping strategy during times of food insecurity, while also investigating the role of access restrictions on adaptive capacity and the ability to obtain these important food resources. Results reveal that reliance on WEPs is greater in households that report food insecurity, lack off-farm income, and have lower asset levels. Access to WEPs is also a major factor in consumption frequency, with smaller farm sizes and increased distance to harvest areas significantly correlated with lower levels of WEP use. By combining vulnerability and adaptive capacity measures for each household, we created a more complete accounting of the factors that influence WEP consumption frequency, with implications for policy. This study represents an important first step in taking a more holistic view of the subsistence value of WEPs and the myriad factors that influence households' reliance on, and ability to obtain, uncultivated natural resources.

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“…Traditional agricultural practices in SSA have been addressed in relation to soil degradation (Choker and Odemerho, 1994), soil nutrients and SOM depletion (Stromgaard, 1991;Dakora and Keya, 1997;Sanchez and Leakey, 1997;Nye and Greenland, 1958), soil pests (Hillocks et al, 1996), pest management (Abate et al, 2000), and plant defense mechanisms (van der Westhuizen, 2004). Among commonly promoted strategies for achieving food security in SSA are: cooperative regionalism (Ugwuanyi and Obinne, 1998), drought management (Hubbard et al, 1992), improvement of roots and tuberous crops such as cassava (Manihoc esculenta) (Prudencio and Alhassan, 1994), use of indigenous knowledge (Oniang'o et al, 2004), integrated food systems (Hulse, 2004), macroeconomic and public policy (Rukuni, 2002), structural adjustment programs (Amalu, 2002), multiple livelihood strategies of women farmers using micro-enterprises (Gladwin et al, 2001), political economy of urban population (Sutherland et al, 1999), incomegenerating employment (Duncan, 1998;McCalla, 1999) and policy framework (van Rooyen and Sigwele, 1998).…”

Section: Constraints To Transforming Traditional Agriculture In Sub-smentioning

confidence: 99%

Soils and food sufficiency. A review

Lal

2009

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

191

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-Soil degradation, caused by land misuse and soil mismanagement, has plagued humanity since the dawn of settled agriculture. Many once thriving civilizations collapsed due to erosion, salinization, nutrient depletion and other soil degradation processes. The Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, that saved hundreds of millions from starvation in Asia and elsewhere, by-passed Sub-Saharan Africa. This remains the only region in the world where the number of hungry and food-insecure populations will still be on the increase even by 2020. The serious technological and political challenges are being exacerbated by the rising energy costs. Resource-poor and small-size land-holders can neither afford the expensive input nor are they sure of their effectiveness because of degraded soils and the harsh, changing climate. Consequently, crop yields are adversely impacted by accelerated erosion, and depletion of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients because of the extractive farming practices. Low crop yields, despite growing improved varieties, are due to the severe soil degradation, especially the low SOM reserves and poor soil structure that aggravate drought stress. Components of recommended technology include: no-till; residue mulch and cover crops; integrated nutrient management; and biochar used in conjunction with improved crops (genetically modified, biotechnology) and cropping systems, and energy plantation for biofuel production. However, its low acceptance, e.g. for no-till farming, is due to a range of biophysical, social and economic factors. Competing uses of crop residues for other needs is among numerous factors limiting the adoption of no-till farming. Creating another income stream for resource-poor farmers, through payments for ecosystem services, e.g., C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems, is an important strategy for promoting the adoption of recommended technologies. Adoption of improved soil management practices is essential to adapt to the changing climate, and meeting the needs of growing populations for food, fodder, fuel and fabrics. Soil restoration and sustainable management are essential to achieving food security, and global peace and stability.food security / soil restoration / sustainable development / soil degradation / conservation agriculture / no-till farming / biochar / integrated nutrient management

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Household food security in semi-arid Africa—the contribution of participatory adaptive research and development to rural livelihoods in Eastern Kenya

Cited by 29 publications

References 7 publications

Climate change, food security, and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

Climate change, food security, and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

Understanding the contribution of wild edible plants to rural social-ecological resilience in semi-arid Kenya

Soils and food sufficiency. A review

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