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Improving farmers’ livelihoods through conservation agriculture: options for change promotion in Laikipia, Kenya
- Source :
- International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, Vol 18, Iss 3, Pp 212-231 (2020)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Taylor & Francis Group, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Across Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural practices for sustainable intensification need to be up-scaled from project interventions to institutional mainstreaming. However, several constraints, including a general lack of resources and knowledge, limited institutional support and challenging market conditions hamper this process. The objective of this study was to develop region-specific options to promote Conservation Agriculture (CA) in the Laikipia region, Kenya. We applied the Transformative Learning Approach (TLA) to stimulate and nurture a joint learning process around CA, to diagnose hindering and supporting factors for up-scaling of CA and to develop options for change promotion. Through a series of field visits, we collected and analyzed data using elements of the TLA approach: i.e. agro-ecosystem health check, stakeholder mapping, participatory videos and the Qualitative Assessment tool for CA adoption (QAToCA). Our findings reveal that up-scaling of CA is hindered by inefficient agricultural market structures, limited access to CA specific biological (residue, seeds), and technical inputs (e.g. machinery), a lack of finances, and absence of knowledge. We recommend four options for further CA promotion in the region: localised expertise (e.g. crop-livestock integration), unbiased facilitation (e.g. careful choice of multipliers), subsidized inputs (e.g. micro-credits) and robust institutional system support (e.g. stable agricultural policies).
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14735903 and 1747762X
- Volume :
- 18
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.0de1e195f1154acfaaf1a11c3bfa3724
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2020.1746063