Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study

Agricultural production in developing countries faces complex challenges from climate change, variability, and environmental degradation, which primarily affect smallholder farmers reliant on climate-sensitive systems. In Kisumu County, Kenya, farming is the primary livelihood for most families, yet...

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Autores principales: Wanjau, Agnes, Mwungu, Chris, Kenduiywo, Benson, Mayanja, Brian, Rose, Sabrina, Ghosh, Aniruddha
Formato: Informe técnico
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179465
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author Wanjau, Agnes
Mwungu, Chris
Kenduiywo, Benson
Mayanja, Brian
Rose, Sabrina
Ghosh, Aniruddha
author_browse Ghosh, Aniruddha
Kenduiywo, Benson
Mayanja, Brian
Mwungu, Chris
Rose, Sabrina
Wanjau, Agnes
author_facet Wanjau, Agnes
Mwungu, Chris
Kenduiywo, Benson
Mayanja, Brian
Rose, Sabrina
Ghosh, Aniruddha
author_sort Wanjau, Agnes
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Agricultural production in developing countries faces complex challenges from climate change, variability, and environmental degradation, which primarily affect smallholder farmers reliant on climate-sensitive systems. In Kisumu County, Kenya, farming is the primary livelihood for most families, yet their vulnerability is exacerbated by exposure to weather extremes and structural issues. This study establishes a baseline for the Innovation in Sustainability, Policy, Adaptation, and Resilience in Kenya (iSPARK) project by outlining the current status of key socioeconomic and agricultural indicators before project implementation. Data were collected through semi-structured phone interviews with 400 smallholder farmers registered in iShamba. The study examined major crops, farming practices, adoption of climate-resilient measures such as intercropping, irrigation, and soil fertility management, gender roles in agriculture, and access to credit and advisory services. Findings indicate that over 80% of households depend on agriculture, with moderate adoption of focal interventions: organic fertiliser (60.8%), inorganic fertiliser (59%), irrigation (48.2%), and intercropping (42%). Although advisory services are available, access remains unequal, particularly for market, credit, input, and post-harvest information. Vulnerability is shaped not only by climate exposure but also by social and institutional barriers, including persistent gender inequalities in land ownership, access to extension services, and household decision-making, which increase women’s climate-related risks. This baseline provides an essential empirical foundation for achieving three key project outcomes, namely the provision of tailored advisers, informing policy, and developing business cases to foster climate-resilient agriculture in Kisumu.
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spelling CGSpace1794652026-01-24T02:08:35Z Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study Wanjau, Agnes Mwungu, Chris Kenduiywo, Benson Mayanja, Brian Rose, Sabrina Ghosh, Aniruddha soil fertility intercropping irrigated farming Agricultural production in developing countries faces complex challenges from climate change, variability, and environmental degradation, which primarily affect smallholder farmers reliant on climate-sensitive systems. In Kisumu County, Kenya, farming is the primary livelihood for most families, yet their vulnerability is exacerbated by exposure to weather extremes and structural issues. This study establishes a baseline for the Innovation in Sustainability, Policy, Adaptation, and Resilience in Kenya (iSPARK) project by outlining the current status of key socioeconomic and agricultural indicators before project implementation. Data were collected through semi-structured phone interviews with 400 smallholder farmers registered in iShamba. The study examined major crops, farming practices, adoption of climate-resilient measures such as intercropping, irrigation, and soil fertility management, gender roles in agriculture, and access to credit and advisory services. Findings indicate that over 80% of households depend on agriculture, with moderate adoption of focal interventions: organic fertiliser (60.8%), inorganic fertiliser (59%), irrigation (48.2%), and intercropping (42%). Although advisory services are available, access remains unequal, particularly for market, credit, input, and post-harvest information. Vulnerability is shaped not only by climate exposure but also by social and institutional barriers, including persistent gender inequalities in land ownership, access to extension services, and household decision-making, which increase women’s climate-related risks. This baseline provides an essential empirical foundation for achieving three key project outcomes, namely the provision of tailored advisers, informing policy, and developing business cases to foster climate-resilient agriculture in Kisumu. 2025-12-18 2026-01-07T09:22:41Z 2026-01-07T09:22:41Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179465 en Open Access application/pdf Wanjau, A.; Mwungu, C.; Kenduiywo, B.; Mayanja, B., Rose, S.; Ghosh, A. (2025) Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study. 68 p.
spellingShingle soil fertility
intercropping
irrigated farming
Wanjau, Agnes
Mwungu, Chris
Kenduiywo, Benson
Mayanja, Brian
Rose, Sabrina
Ghosh, Aniruddha
Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study
title Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study
title_full Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study
title_fullStr Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study
title_full_unstemmed Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study
title_short Understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in Kisumu County: A baseline study
title_sort understanding agricultural production and farmer livelihoods in kisumu county a baseline study
topic soil fertility
intercropping
irrigated farming
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179465
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