Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya
Climate change threatens the sustainability of food production among farmers in Kenya who depend on rain‐fed agriculture. To minimize the negative impacts of climate change, farmers have sought to adopt different adaptation strategies. This study investigates factors influencing farmers’ choice of c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Climate Risk Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096323000219 |
| _version_ | 1827940278107897856 |
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| author | Girma Gezimu Gebre Yuichiro Amekawa Asmiro Abeje Fikadu Dil Bahadur Rahut |
| author_facet | Girma Gezimu Gebre Yuichiro Amekawa Asmiro Abeje Fikadu Dil Bahadur Rahut |
| author_sort | Girma Gezimu Gebre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate change threatens the sustainability of food production among farmers in Kenya who depend on rain‐fed agriculture. To minimize the negative impacts of climate change, farmers have sought to adopt different adaptation strategies. This study investigates factors influencing farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation strategies and associated effects on their food security in Kenya using data collected from 540 farmers from six counties. A multivariate probit, censored least absolute deviation (CLAD), and propensity score matching (PSM) models were employed to identify the determinants in the farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation strategies, the number of adaptation strategies adopted, and the effect of climate change adaptation strategies on their food security, respectively. Results show that planting drought-tolerant crop varieties (55%), growing diversified crops (34%), growing early maturing crops (22%), and diversifying the sources of household income (18%) were the four major adaptation strategies used by the farmers in the study area. Younger farmers and those with higher education levels are more likely to use these climate change adaptation practices. The number of adaptation strategies used was positively associated with male farmers, education level, family size, land size, farm income, extension contact, training, and information access. The farmers who adopt one adaptation strategy have higher food security status (approximately 7–11%) than those who do not. If they adopt two adaptation strategies, their food security status increases by approximately 11–14%; if they adopt three adaptation strategies, their food security status increases by nearly 12–15%; and if they adopt four adaptation practices, their food security status increases by about 14–18%, compared to those who do not adopt any strategy. Thus, the farmers’ climate change adaptation practices have positive food security effects in Kenya according to the number of adaptation strategies adopted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:06:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66273fb0094b4636b7e20ca2e1920400 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2212-0963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:06:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate Risk Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-66273fb0094b4636b7e20ca2e19204002023-05-28T04:08:56ZengElsevierClimate Risk Management2212-09632023-01-0140100495Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in KenyaGirma Gezimu Gebre0Yuichiro Amekawa1Asmiro Abeje Fikadu2Dil Bahadur Rahut3Faculty of Environment, Gender and Development Studies, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia; The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto 603-8577, Japan; Corresponding author.College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, JapanDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia; Department Agricultural and Resource Economics, Kyushu University, JapanAsian Development Bank Institute, Tokyo, Japan; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, MexicoClimate change threatens the sustainability of food production among farmers in Kenya who depend on rain‐fed agriculture. To minimize the negative impacts of climate change, farmers have sought to adopt different adaptation strategies. This study investigates factors influencing farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation strategies and associated effects on their food security in Kenya using data collected from 540 farmers from six counties. A multivariate probit, censored least absolute deviation (CLAD), and propensity score matching (PSM) models were employed to identify the determinants in the farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation strategies, the number of adaptation strategies adopted, and the effect of climate change adaptation strategies on their food security, respectively. Results show that planting drought-tolerant crop varieties (55%), growing diversified crops (34%), growing early maturing crops (22%), and diversifying the sources of household income (18%) were the four major adaptation strategies used by the farmers in the study area. Younger farmers and those with higher education levels are more likely to use these climate change adaptation practices. The number of adaptation strategies used was positively associated with male farmers, education level, family size, land size, farm income, extension contact, training, and information access. The farmers who adopt one adaptation strategy have higher food security status (approximately 7–11%) than those who do not. If they adopt two adaptation strategies, their food security status increases by approximately 11–14%; if they adopt three adaptation strategies, their food security status increases by nearly 12–15%; and if they adopt four adaptation practices, their food security status increases by about 14–18%, compared to those who do not adopt any strategy. Thus, the farmers’ climate change adaptation practices have positive food security effects in Kenya according to the number of adaptation strategies adopted.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096323000219Adaptation strategiesClimate changeFood securitySmallholder farmersKenya |
| spellingShingle | Girma Gezimu Gebre Yuichiro Amekawa Asmiro Abeje Fikadu Dil Bahadur Rahut Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya Climate Risk Management Adaptation strategies Climate change Food security Smallholder farmers Kenya |
| title | Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya |
| title_full | Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya |
| title_short | Farmers′ use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in Kenya |
| title_sort | farmers use of climate change adaptation strategies and their impacts on food security in kenya |
| topic | Adaptation strategies Climate change Food security Smallholder farmers Kenya |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096323000219 |
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