Welfare effects and gender dimensions of adoption of climate smart agriculture practices: Evidence from Kenyan small-scale farmers
EfD Authors:
Agricultural production in Kenya is predominantly rain-fed and highly vulnerable to climate variability and change. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is thus being promoted with the aim of increasing agricultural productivity, adapting to the changing climate, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite increased adoption of CSA practices by smallholder farmers, the heterogenous welfare effects are hardly understood as the results have been mixed.
Using oral communication instructions to improve marketing and financial management skills of sweet potato farmers
EfD Authors:
PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of oral communication in improving the marketing and financial management skills of sweet potato farmers.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre- and post-test approach. The sample was 540 sweet potato farmers that were randomly assigned to training (n = 270) and no-training groups (n = 270) with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) as the method of data analysis.
Understanding the role of home gardens in household food supply in times of shocks and uncertainty: evidence from covid-19 lockdown in Nigeria
EfD Authors:
Home gardening has continued to gain increased interest among researchers because of its role in promoting household food security and strengthening local agrifood systems, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. In times of shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely disrupted food supply chains, it offers significant potential to drive sustainable household food supply. However, its potential to fully support household food supply in Nigeria remains underutilized.
Ripe for contracts? Estimating the impact of an avocado producer organization contract farming intervention
EfD Authors:
AbstractWe evaluate the impact of a producer organization avocado contract farming intervention in Kenya that included (1) an agreement to sell to an avocado exporting company, (2) access to training, and (3) support to gain group‐level Global Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBALG.A.P.) certification as main activities. Using a (nonexperimental) doubly robust difference‐in‐differences design with farm‐level panel data from 2015 and 2017, we show that farmers began selling to the contracted company, were recently trained and received the GLOBALG.A.P. certification.
FRESH PRODUCE VALUE CHAINS IN KENYA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCED MARKET ACCESS AND SMALLHOLDER INCLUSION
EfD Authors:
Contract farming is one potential mechanism that smallholder farmers in developing countries can use to participate in and benefit from domestic and global value chains (Okello and Swinton 2007; Barrett et al. 2012; Minot and Sawyer 2016; Ruben 2017; Ton et al. 2017). Linking smallholder farmers more directly with national and global consumers should increase both the demand and producer prices for their fresh produce. Increased access to and participation in such value chains increases farm income earned by smallholders.
Sensitivity of rainfed okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) to mulch material and plant spacing in drought-prone tropical soils
EfD Authors:
Mulch regulates soil hydrothermal regime while suppressing weed growth, effects of which may depend on mulch material and/or similar to that of closed crop canopy. Combined use of organic or inorganic material as surface mulch and appropriate plant spacing may produce synergistic agronomic effects in water-stressed environments. This study evaluated the sensitivity of rainfed okra to mulch-spacing variants in droughty derived-savannah soils.