Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play?
Abstract This study investigated the impacts of a farmer field school (FFS) programme focused on farm forestry in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in Kenya from 2017 to 2020. Specifically, we examined whether this agricultural extension approach enhanced livelihood diversification and reduced vulner...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Agricultural and Food Economics |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-025-00364-8 |
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| author | Ichiro Sato Hideyuki Kubo Josiah Mwangi Ateka Robert Mbeche Ayaha Mochizuki |
| author_facet | Ichiro Sato Hideyuki Kubo Josiah Mwangi Ateka Robert Mbeche Ayaha Mochizuki |
| author_sort | Ichiro Sato |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study investigated the impacts of a farmer field school (FFS) programme focused on farm forestry in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in Kenya from 2017 to 2020. Specifically, we examined whether this agricultural extension approach enhanced livelihood diversification and reduced vulnerability to climate-related shocks among rural households frequently affected by droughts. Using data collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a survey of 344 households, we employed a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to compare FFS impacts on livelihood diversification between households with and without FFS graduates. The study also undertook regression analyses to assess the relationship between livelihood diversification and losses from climate-related shocks. The results indicated that FFS graduate households had greater livelihood diversification in terms of both the number of income types and the number of agricultural, forestry, and livestock products they sold, compared with similar households without FFS graduates. They also suggested that greater diversity in household sales of agricultural, forestry, and livestock products was associated with smaller losses of households from recent events of droughts and crop diseases/pests. These results indicate the potential benefits of FFS for enhancing household resilience to climate-related shocks in ASALs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-200de3a2d9b64ba1b2c7fe40819db28e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2193-7532 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agricultural and Food Economics |
| spelling | doaj-art-200de3a2d9b64ba1b2c7fe40819db28e2025-08-20T03:10:38ZengSpringerOpenAgricultural and Food Economics2193-75322025-06-0113112210.1186/s40100-025-00364-8Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play?Ichiro Sato0Hideyuki Kubo1Josiah Mwangi Ateka2Robert Mbeche3Ayaha Mochizuki4Japan International Cooperation Agency, Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and DevelopmentInstitute for Global Environmental StrategiesDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and TechnologyDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and TechnologyProject for Strengthening Forestry Sector Development and Community Resilience to Climate Change Through Sustainable Forest Management and Landscape RestorationAbstract This study investigated the impacts of a farmer field school (FFS) programme focused on farm forestry in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in Kenya from 2017 to 2020. Specifically, we examined whether this agricultural extension approach enhanced livelihood diversification and reduced vulnerability to climate-related shocks among rural households frequently affected by droughts. Using data collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a survey of 344 households, we employed a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to compare FFS impacts on livelihood diversification between households with and without FFS graduates. The study also undertook regression analyses to assess the relationship between livelihood diversification and losses from climate-related shocks. The results indicated that FFS graduate households had greater livelihood diversification in terms of both the number of income types and the number of agricultural, forestry, and livestock products they sold, compared with similar households without FFS graduates. They also suggested that greater diversity in household sales of agricultural, forestry, and livestock products was associated with smaller losses of households from recent events of droughts and crop diseases/pests. These results indicate the potential benefits of FFS for enhancing household resilience to climate-related shocks in ASALs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-025-00364-8Farmer field schoolLivelihood diversificationDroughtHousehold vulnerability to shocksPropensity score matching |
| spellingShingle | Ichiro Sato Hideyuki Kubo Josiah Mwangi Ateka Robert Mbeche Ayaha Mochizuki Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play? Agricultural and Food Economics Farmer field school Livelihood diversification Drought Household vulnerability to shocks Propensity score matching |
| title | Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play? |
| title_full | Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play? |
| title_fullStr | Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play? |
| title_short | Promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in Kenya: what role does farm forestry farmer field school play? |
| title_sort | promoting livelihood diversification among rural farming households in kenya what role does farm forestry farmer field school play |
| topic | Farmer field school Livelihood diversification Drought Household vulnerability to shocks Propensity score matching |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-025-00364-8 |
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