Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya

Livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and are highly vulnerable to climate change. In Kenya, smallholder dairy farmers need to balance productivity with environmental sustainability while facing increasing climate pressures. This case study exam...

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Main Authors: Florez, Jesus Fernando, Gonzalez Quintero, Ricardo, Pazos Cardenas, Mateo, Triana Ángel, Natalia, Enciso, Valentina, Waluse, Kenneth, Notenbaert, An, Burkart, Stefan
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Frontiers 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178707
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author Florez, Jesus Fernando
Gonzalez Quintero, Ricardo
Pazos Cardenas, Mateo
Triana Ángel, Natalia
Enciso, Valentina
Waluse, Kenneth
Notenbaert, An
Burkart, Stefan
author_browse Burkart, Stefan
Enciso, Valentina
Florez, Jesus Fernando
Gonzalez Quintero, Ricardo
Notenbaert, An
Pazos Cardenas, Mateo
Triana Ángel, Natalia
Waluse, Kenneth
author_facet Florez, Jesus Fernando
Gonzalez Quintero, Ricardo
Pazos Cardenas, Mateo
Triana Ángel, Natalia
Enciso, Valentina
Waluse, Kenneth
Notenbaert, An
Burkart, Stefan
author_sort Florez, Jesus Fernando
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and are highly vulnerable to climate change. In Kenya, smallholder dairy farmers need to balance productivity with environmental sustainability while facing increasing climate pressures. This case study examines farmers’ perceptions and social valuation of forage-based climate mitigation strategies, focusing on awareness, perceived value, and willingness to adopt improved forages for resilience. The study was conducted in Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties with 46 dairy farmers purposively selected from ongoing project-supported initiatives. A socio-ecological systems perspective informed the analysis. A composite social value indicator integrating knowledge, perception, and use dimensions was constructed using principal component analysis. Findings show high climate awareness and recognition of the benefits of forage-based mitigation. However, willingness to adopt these practices remains limited due to financial, technical, and institutional constraints. Support for improved forages is nonetheless strong, driven by perceived gains in productivity and environmental sustainability. While differences related to gender and age were observed, these were not explored in depth, as the study prioritizes methodological application rather than demographic analysis. Results reveal a persistent gap between awareness and action, indicating that social acceptance alone does not ensure adoption. Strengthening adoption will require improved access to forage seeds, inclusive extension services, capacity building, and targeted climate finance. The study demonstrates the utility of social valuation approaches to assess mitigation readiness and inform socially grounded climate strategies in smallholder dairy systems.
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spelling CGSpace1787072025-12-11T02:15:01Z Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya Florez, Jesus Fernando Gonzalez Quintero, Ricardo Pazos Cardenas, Mateo Triana Ángel, Natalia Enciso, Valentina Waluse, Kenneth Notenbaert, An Burkart, Stefan evaluation surveys farmer participation climate change perception feed grasses dairy farms social values feed legumes Livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and are highly vulnerable to climate change. In Kenya, smallholder dairy farmers need to balance productivity with environmental sustainability while facing increasing climate pressures. This case study examines farmers’ perceptions and social valuation of forage-based climate mitigation strategies, focusing on awareness, perceived value, and willingness to adopt improved forages for resilience. The study was conducted in Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties with 46 dairy farmers purposively selected from ongoing project-supported initiatives. A socio-ecological systems perspective informed the analysis. A composite social value indicator integrating knowledge, perception, and use dimensions was constructed using principal component analysis. Findings show high climate awareness and recognition of the benefits of forage-based mitigation. However, willingness to adopt these practices remains limited due to financial, technical, and institutional constraints. Support for improved forages is nonetheless strong, driven by perceived gains in productivity and environmental sustainability. While differences related to gender and age were observed, these were not explored in depth, as the study prioritizes methodological application rather than demographic analysis. Results reveal a persistent gap between awareness and action, indicating that social acceptance alone does not ensure adoption. Strengthening adoption will require improved access to forage seeds, inclusive extension services, capacity building, and targeted climate finance. The study demonstrates the utility of social valuation approaches to assess mitigation readiness and inform socially grounded climate strategies in smallholder dairy systems. 2025-12-04 2025-12-10T15:12:48Z 2025-12-10T15:12:48Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178707 en Open Access application/pdf Frontiers Florez, J.F.; Gonzalez Quintero, R.; Pazos Cardenas, M.; Triana Ángel, N.; Enciso, V.; Waluse, K.; Notenbaert, A.; Burkart, S. (2025) Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya. Pastoralism: Research Policy and Practice 15: 15496. ISSN: 2041-7136
spellingShingle evaluation
surveys
farmer participation
climate change perception
feed grasses
dairy farms
social values
feed legumes
Florez, Jesus Fernando
Gonzalez Quintero, Ricardo
Pazos Cardenas, Mateo
Triana Ángel, Natalia
Enciso, Valentina
Waluse, Kenneth
Notenbaert, An
Burkart, Stefan
Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya
title Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya
title_full Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya
title_fullStr Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya
title_full_unstemmed Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya
title_short Measuring smallholder dairy farmers’ social valuation of climate mitigation: A case study from Kenya
title_sort measuring smallholder dairy farmers social valuation of climate mitigation a case study from kenya
topic evaluation
surveys
farmer participation
climate change perception
feed grasses
dairy farms
social values
feed legumes
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178707
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