Effects Of Climate-Smart Agricultural Awareness On Food Security Among Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

Climate variability including temperature and rainfall variations is a core challenge impacting food production and security today. Kaptumo-Kaboi Ward, Nandi County is not immune to the effects despite being a moist region, ensuing in reduction in crop yields. Climate smart agriculture (CSA) is a feasible measure towards minimizing the impacts of climatic variation on food security and an option for mitigating changing climate. Despite the foreseen hope, the uptake of CSA is impacted by many setbacks including, lack of adequate knowledge and awareness. The study was steered by three objectives: to establish the link between farmers’ socio-economic characteristics and CSA adoption; to assess the link between CSA awareness and its adoption; and to establish the effects of CSA on food security. The study was qualitative in nature and used simple random sampling technique, selecting 90 respondents. Questionnaires, schedule interviews, FGDs, and field observations were used. Results showed that social-economic issues greatly influenced adoption of CSA practices as age was negatively associated with CSA adoption as shown by p-value (Sig.015), education level was positive and significant at .001 household size was negative and significant at .412, farm size was significant at .310 while household income was positive and significant at .520. CSA awareness significantly influenced CSA adoption. Also, CSA adoption was found to positively impact food security as shown by t-value of 5.292 along with p value of 0.00 significant at 5%. The study concluded that that CSA awareness was one of the determinants of CSA adoption. The study proposes a shift to CSA that is entrenched over an agro-ecological approach for food security.