Factors influencing the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices among smallholder farmers in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Most of Kenya’s population’s livelihoods and agri-food systems rely on rain-fed agriculture making them vulnerable to climate change. The adverse effects of climate change on agricultural production have necessitated the promotion of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies help guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security by increasing farmers’ resilience to climate change. This study sought to ascertain the current state of CSA practices among Kakamega County's smallholder farmers to identify the main drivers of CSA adoption. Stratified sampling was used to select six sub-counties to represent the county's various agroecological zones and regions for the research sample. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling was used to select 428 smallholder CSA farmers of which 182 were adopters while 246 were dis-adopters. Primary data were collected using interview guides developed through the Kobo Collect Application. Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical packages were used to process and analyze the data. This study established that CSA technologies in Kakamega are mainly promoted by international development partners, non-governmental organizations and research organizations. In addition, the most adopted CSA technologies were agroforestry, composting, and soil and water conservation structures, while push-pull technology, conservation agriculture, and vermiculture were the least adopted. This study, further, established that smallholder farmers’ level of education, membership to a farmers’ group, interaction with extension officers and farming experience influenced adoption of CSA technologies. Other factors are those that increase household productive resources, such as land ownership, household income, and access to agricultural credit. The results of this study suggest that those who promote CSA technologies, policymakers, extension service providers, and other stakeholders should take smallholder farmers' socioeconomic and biophysical factors into account when doing so.