From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya

Smallholder livestock production systems are targeted for climate change mitigation via Low-Emission Development Strategies (LEDS). LEDS promote the adoption of so-called best agricultural practices for mitigation gains, while also expecting to contribute to socio-economic development. However, the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vernooij, Vera, Schoneveld, G.C., Vellema, Sietze, Crane, Todd A., Kihoro, Esther
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Informa UK Limited 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152115
_version_ 1855519679138758656
author Vernooij, Vera
Schoneveld, G.C.
Vellema, Sietze
Crane, Todd A.
Kihoro, Esther
author_browse Crane, Todd A.
Kihoro, Esther
Schoneveld, G.C.
Vellema, Sietze
Vernooij, Vera
author_facet Vernooij, Vera
Schoneveld, G.C.
Vellema, Sietze
Crane, Todd A.
Kihoro, Esther
author_sort Vernooij, Vera
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Smallholder livestock production systems are targeted for climate change mitigation via Low-Emission Development Strategies (LEDS). LEDS promote the adoption of so-called best agricultural practices for mitigation gains, while also expecting to contribute to socio-economic development. However, the assumed alignment between LEDS and varied realities of smallholder farmers is not self-evident. This study argues for a shift away from problematizing the adoption of ideal-type and uniform LED-practices (or a “fix”) to fitting LEDS to diverse smallholder priorities and capabilities embedded in specific regional histories and conditions. To make this shift, we assess the plausibility of fit of LED-practices into diverse smallholder realities in Kenya’s dairy sector. A mixed-methods approach exposes variation in the use of LED-practices in diverse dairy practices at household and regional levels. We characterize smallholder heterogeneity by distinguishing six clusters through a multivariate analysis of data from 1009 households in three regions of Kenya, and present patterns in uptake and intensity of the use of LED-practices for each household type. Next, the combination of quantitative and qualitative data shows variation in uptake of LED-practices at the level of the three counties, which suggests the importance of regional conditions in shaping the uptake of LED-practices and places the adoption focus beyond household-level decision-making. Subsequently, we identify starting points for LEDS design attuned to variation in smallholder dairy realities at multiple levels, where we consider scale at the start, and shift attention from the adoption of fixes to the creation of spaces conducive to “fitting” LED-practices into diverse realities.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace152115
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher Informa UK Limited
publisherStr Informa UK Limited
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1521152025-08-21T09:36:25Z From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya Vernooij, Vera Schoneveld, G.C. Vellema, Sietze Crane, Todd A. Kihoro, Esther development emission dairy low-emission development smallholder Smallholder livestock production systems are targeted for climate change mitigation via Low-Emission Development Strategies (LEDS). LEDS promote the adoption of so-called best agricultural practices for mitigation gains, while also expecting to contribute to socio-economic development. However, the assumed alignment between LEDS and varied realities of smallholder farmers is not self-evident. This study argues for a shift away from problematizing the adoption of ideal-type and uniform LED-practices (or a “fix”) to fitting LEDS to diverse smallholder priorities and capabilities embedded in specific regional histories and conditions. To make this shift, we assess the plausibility of fit of LED-practices into diverse smallholder realities in Kenya’s dairy sector. A mixed-methods approach exposes variation in the use of LED-practices in diverse dairy practices at household and regional levels. We characterize smallholder heterogeneity by distinguishing six clusters through a multivariate analysis of data from 1009 households in three regions of Kenya, and present patterns in uptake and intensity of the use of LED-practices for each household type. Next, the combination of quantitative and qualitative data shows variation in uptake of LED-practices at the level of the three counties, which suggests the importance of regional conditions in shaping the uptake of LED-practices and places the adoption focus beyond household-level decision-making. Subsequently, we identify starting points for LEDS design attuned to variation in smallholder dairy realities at multiple levels, where we consider scale at the start, and shift attention from the adoption of fixes to the creation of spaces conducive to “fitting” LED-practices into diverse realities. 2024-12-31 2024-09-11T09:26:00Z 2024-09-11T09:26:00Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152115 en Open Access Informa UK Limited Vernooij, V., Schoneveld, G., Vellema, S., Crane, T., & Kihoro, E. (2024). From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya. NJAS: Impact in Agricultural and Life Sciences, 96(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/27685241.2024.2334965
spellingShingle development
emission
dairy
low-emission development
smallholder
Vernooij, Vera
Schoneveld, G.C.
Vellema, Sietze
Crane, Todd A.
Kihoro, Esther
From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya
title From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya
title_full From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya
title_fullStr From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya
title_full_unstemmed From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya
title_short From fix to fitting: Connecting low-emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in Kenya
title_sort from fix to fitting connecting low emission development with multilevel smallholder dairy practices in kenya
topic development
emission
dairy
low-emission development
smallholder
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152115
work_keys_str_mv AT vernooijvera fromfixtofittingconnectinglowemissiondevelopmentwithmultilevelsmallholderdairypracticesinkenya
AT schoneveldgc fromfixtofittingconnectinglowemissiondevelopmentwithmultilevelsmallholderdairypracticesinkenya
AT vellemasietze fromfixtofittingconnectinglowemissiondevelopmentwithmultilevelsmallholderdairypracticesinkenya
AT cranetodda fromfixtofittingconnectinglowemissiondevelopmentwithmultilevelsmallholderdairypracticesinkenya
AT kihoroesther fromfixtofittingconnectinglowemissiondevelopmentwithmultilevelsmallholderdairypracticesinkenya