Assessing determinants of scaling up pathways for adopted CSA Climate Smart Agricultural practices: Evidence from Climate Smart Villages in Nyando Basin, Kenya

Abstract

Africa has recently experienced adverse climate changes and has recognized tremendous advancement of numerous Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies with ability to promote resilience and productivity. However, these good strategies are not only unknown, but their extensive uptake remain subtle particularly beyond the scope area, especially among poor rural small-scale farmers. There are prevailing barriers that inhibit upscaling of these practices and so far existing actions and policies to remove the challenges remain scarce. Therefore, the study’s main objective was to assess determinants and or barriers and strategies to boost scaling up pathways for adopted CSA practices in Nyando basin. Primary data was collected for baseline, end-line and financial diaries panel data from 122 households. Logistic regression model and Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The main findings which were significant (p < 0.05) illustrated that shocks from the emergence of new pests/diseases, and little/high rainfall highly affected productivity, resulting in dis-adoption and scaling up. Climate variant was the main cause of floods, drought, and the occurrence of new pests on crops and livestock. There was evidence of households’ collective decisions on farming expenditures. Knowledge astute, social capital and market-based scaling pathways were potential “pull” aspects that could encourage scaling up of CSA practices beyond CSVs. The study recommends improving use of multi-faceted approaches that assimilate environmental, agronomic, molecular, and institutional scopes. Additionally, improve on market access, cooperatives and capacity building base level for small-scale farmers to relate constraints to solutions offered by CSA adoption.

Keywords:

• Climate smart villages
• dis-adoption
• scaling up
• climate smart agriculture
• pathways

Reviewing Editor:

• Manuel Tejada, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

Subjects:

• Agriculture & Environmental Sciences
• Agriculture
• Agriculture and Food
• Environmental Studies
• Climate Change

Acknowledgements

Appreciation and thanks goes to the respondents interrogated and the enumerators who lent a hand in data collection. Thanks to CCAFS, ILRI, NWO, VI agro and other stakeholders for allowing use of their study site in Nyando basin. Gratitude to all the community leaders, who led the enumerators in locating the respondents for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Josephine W. Njogu

Josephine W. Njogu works with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, State Department for Livestock Development.

George Karuku

George Karuku is a Professor at the University of Nairobi, College of Agriculture and Veterinary sciences. Department of Land Resource Management Agricultural Technologies.

John Busienei

John Busienei is a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics.

John Kamau Gathiaka

John Kamau Gathiaka is a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, College of Business and Economics Studies.