Traditional Food Crops and Their Role in Food and Nutritional Security in Kenya

Muthoni, Jane; Nyamongo, D. O.

doi:10.1080/10496500903466745

Cited by 32 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…their high nutritional status and role in countering malnutrition (Maxwell et al 1998;Steyn et al 2001;Olasantan 2007;Muthoni and Nyamongo 2010); b. their ease of cultivation and drought resistance (Slabbert et al 2004;Olouch et al 2009); c. their contribution and conservation of bio-diversity and local knowledge (High and Shackleton 2000;Keller et al 2006;Maundu et al 2009); and d. their potential to provide household income (Shackleton 2003;Yiridoe and Anchirinah 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Consumption of Indigenous and Traditional Food Crops: Perceptions and Realities from South Africa

Cloete

Idsardi

2013

Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

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Strategies adopted to address ongoing food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, particularly in developing countries, narrow the food supply base by using technological options that neglect indigenous and traditional food crop systems. These crops are commonly being labeled as "poor people's food" by South African consumers. The question that arises is whether this categorization is justified and what interventions are needed to unlock the potential of these crops in improving household food security levels. Survey data of 600 African households in the North West Province of South Africa was used for the analysis of the consumption patterns of several traditional and indigenous food crops. The results show that the link between income and the consumption of these food crops is more nuanced.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Consumption of Indigenous and Traditional Food Crops: Perceptions and Realities from South Africa

Cloete

Idsardi

2013

Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

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“…In Kenya, the nutritional benefits of WEPs and traditional foods are a common topic of scientific study (Ogoye-Ndegwa 2003, Muthoni andNyamongo 2010), but the importance of access to common areas where these products are harvested is often overlooked (Cousins 1999), and harvest restrictions in protected areas can shut out users who rely on WEPs (Falconer 1990). Lifting access restrictions in areas where WEPs are harvested primarily for food and micronutrient properties could benefit users that rely on them to combat malnutrition.…”

Section: Implications For Rural Social-ecological Resilience In Semi-mentioning

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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“…HVTCs are indigenous crops adapted to the extreme soil and climatic conditions of semi-arid Africa, compatible with the agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions of the area. In a 'bad season', HVTCs outperform cash crops as they offer adaptation to extreme soil and climatic conditions, are known to do well in dry conditions and can survive the unpredictable weather patterns and increasing aridity brought about by climate change (Muthoni and Nyamongo, 2010). Given birds' preference for HVTCs, crop raids by birds represent a significant barrier to the greater adoption of these 'climate-smart', (FAO, 2013; Government of the Republic of Kenya, 2013) drought-resilient crops.…”

Section: Pests and Smallholdersmentioning

confidence: 99%