Abstract
This study investigated the impacts of a farmer field school (FFS) programme focused on farm forestry in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in Kenya from 2017 to 2020. Specifically, we examined whether this agricultural extension approach enhanced livelihood diversification and reduced vulnerability to climate-related shocks among rural households frequently affected by droughts. Using data collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a survey of 344 households, we employed a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to compare FFS impacts on livelihood diversification between households with and without FFS graduates. The study also undertook regression analyses to assess the relationship between livelihood diversification and losses from climate-related shocks. The results indicated that FFS graduate households had greater livelihood diversification in terms of both the number of income types and the number of agricultural, forestry, and livestock products they sold, compared with similar households without FFS graduates. They also suggested that greater diversity in household sales of agricultural, forestry, and livestock products was associated with smaller losses of households from recent events of droughts and crop diseases/pests. These results indicate the potential benefits of FFS for enhancing household resilience to climate-related shocks in ASALs.
