Assessment of Household Land Size and Use for Sustainable Food and Livelihood Security in Gatimu Sublocation, Nyandarua County
Abstract
The effects of land fragmentation on food and livelihood security has been experienced
not only in Kenya and Africa but all over the world thereby necessitating adequate
research to generate viable interventions. Various studies undertaken on impacts of land
size and use on food and livelihood security especially in Ghana and Rwanda have
shown that fragmentation has adverse effects on agricultural productivity. This has not
been done in Nyandarua, specifically in Gatimu sublocation thereby resulting in a
knowledge gap.This study assessed household land size and use for sustainable food
and livelihood security in the dairy farming system of Gatimu Sub-location in
Nyandarua County. The target population consisted of all the households in Gatimu
sub-location who practice dairy and non-dairy farming from which a total of 140
households were sampled. Questionnaires were administered, focus group discussions
done, key informants interviewed and documents analysed. The data obtained was
coded, entered and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Both
descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted. The results revealed that the
households in Gatimu sub-location who practiced dairy farming owned at least two
pieces of land each and both measured approximately 0.99 acres. The findings also
revealed that majority of the landowners supported land subdivision among their heirs
due to the high population increase and high living standards in the country. The land
in Gatimu sub-location however was found to be used for settlement and crop farming
besides dairy farming in the area. A bivariate correlation analysis was done on the
effects of household size on food and livelihood security and revealed that household
land size was positively related to food and livelihood security while the main use of
land was not associated with food security. Again the findings revealed that land
ownership, total owned family land size, age of household head and the household size
were significant factors affecting household land Size and use. Therefore, the study
recommended that land subdivision be highly controlled by setting minimum and
maximum plot sizes in agricultural areas by the relevant authorities like the
Government agencies involved in land administration so as to provide sufficient land
size for agricultural activities. Other measures like educating children as a way of
inheritance other than land are also encouraged.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
- Faculty of Arts [625]
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