Title: Assessment of gender and innovations in climate-smart agriculture for food and nutrition security in Kenya: a case of Kalii watershed

Authors: Dave Nyongesa; Anthony O. Esilaba; Rosemary Emongor; Edward Bikketi; Kennedy Were

Addresses: Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Food Crops Research Institute, Kabete Research Centre, Socio-Economics and Policy Development Unit, P.O. Box 14733-00800 (Westlands), Nairobi, Kenya ' KALRO Headquarters, Natural Resource Systems Sub Unit, P.O. Box 57811-00200 (City Square), Nairobi, Kenya ' KALRO, Food Crops Research Institute, Kabete Research Centre, Socio-Economics and Policy Development Unit, P.O. Box 14733-00800 (Westlands), Nairobi, Kenya ' International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT-ESA), Gender Research Division, P.O. Box 39063-00623 (United Nations Avenue, Gigiri), Nairobi, Kenya ' KALRO, Food Crops Research Institute, Kabete Research Centre, P.O. Box 14733-00800 (Westlands), Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract: Climate-change and variability (CC&V) exerts multiple stresses on agriculture production. It negatively impacts gender-cadres especially in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands that occupy 89% (area), 36% (population), 70% (livestock), and 90% (wildlife). Smallholders with limited resources endowments have adopted climate-smart agriculture technologies, which are viewed as a panacea to CC&V in addressing interlinked food-security challenges. This paper reports baseline survey results on 149 randomly selected households in Kalii watershed. Primary and secondary data were collected in March 2015. Data-analyses encompassed regressions, descriptive statistics and gender-analysis. Local perceptions/results revealed precipitations downward-trend and an upward-trend of temperatures, and other elements, and outcomes of CC&V. Gender and innovations are statistically significant at (p<0.05). Decision-making on assets' and proceeds' control and use, was men's domain. Invariably, gender and climate-smart agriculture innovations are critical in food and nutrition security strategy under CC&V.

Keywords: gender; agriculture; watershed; smallholders; food-security; climate-change and variability; decision-making; innovations; livelihoods; assets; improved-leguminous crops.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2017.086434

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2017 Vol.13 No.2, pp.109 - 137

Received: 08 Jun 2016
Accepted: 11 Mar 2017
Published online: 10 Sep 2017 *

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