Effect of climate variability on crop Diversity and Household Nutrition in Kenya

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the leading sectors in the Kenyan economy and central to the country’s development strategy. The sector hires over 40 percent of the total Kenyan population, contributes to a quarter of the country’s GDP, and provides nutrition to a larger proportion of the population. However, the agriculture sector in the country has suffered due to frequent droughts, floods, and climate variability. Climate variability, have in part, contributed to poor nutritional status and severe food insecurity problems. Based on the foregoing, this paper aimed to examine the effects of climate variability on the household nutrition situation as well as crop diversity. Household nutrition status was proxied by the production of kilocalories (Kcal) while the Ogive index was used to calculate crop diversity. The study used the 2010 Tegemeo dataset and employed the OLS estimation technique to achieve the study objectives. Results showed that climate variables (temperature and rainfall) had varied and mixed effects on household nutrition status. Increase in temperature during the spring season (March-May) and precipitation in the fall season (September-November) significantly reduced production of kilocalories. Despite this, rainfall in the spring season had an enhancing effect on the production of kilocalories. The effect of other variables on Kcal is mixed, as increase in farm labour and the amount spent on both fertilizer and seeds increased production of kilocalories. Results on the second objective similarly showed a mixed effect of climate variables on crop diversity in Kenya. More specifically, increase in temperatures during both winter (December-February) and spring seasons had a reducing effect on crop diversity while rising temperatures in the summer season (June-August) have an enhancing effect on crop diversity. Findings on the other control variables showed that increase in household head level of schooling, as well as age, increased crop diversity. Taken together, these results demonstrated that climate influences both household nutrition status and crop diversity differently depending on the season of the year. This finding implies that policymakers should implement adaptation strategies and interventions to cushion small-scale farmers from the adverse effects of climate variability on household nutrition status and crop diversity.