Innovation and Transition in Agriculture: How dairy farming is emerging in the coffee agroforestry systems of Kenya

Emerging challenges to farming drives farming systems to have three strategies; intensification options optimizing resources and technological innovations, firm diversification orchestrating interdependencies among sectoral boundaries, and transition to new system and trajectories. The intensification in the coffee system is the process to specialize in coffee using new varieties and practices while the second option is diversification to complementary enterprises to adapt challenges. The trajectory shift emphasis on how new sectoral systems (dairy sector) emerges, and its link with the previous system (coffee) in terms of impact pathway. In the multi-level perspective however, there is no simple cause effect relationship drives transitions rather systems change is enacted by various types of actors. This paper, therefore, presents (1) how the transition from coffee to dairy based farming system is taking place? (2) How the different actors in the innovation system of transition contribute to the learning and innovation process? (3) What contributes the transition from intensified coffee based to dairy based farming system on household food security? Our data collection consists of household survey (120) for household specific data, focus group discussions (9 FGDs) and stakeholders' interview. The results revealed, coffee production declined by 65% in the last 30 years, and the trend is straight. The dairy on contrary is in opposite visualizing sharp increase in volume of production and price. In line to this, innovation process and actors' interaction to adapt to climate change differs for the coffee and dairy. Actors in the coffee are limited, the system is highly centralized with limited options to farmers to process and market their product while the dairy sector is informally controlled by demand based business, comparatively numerous actors with limited government intervention, various options to marketing. The strong correlation between farm performance and socio-institutional variables, stakeholder interaction suggests the need for the establishment and strengthening of local institutions that have capacity to break the farmers' capital constraint to invest in climate smart agriculture which is beneficial to sustain systems

Climate smart strategies to strengthened coffee farmers adaptive capacity to climate change. [P74]

In the last 30 years Kenya's national coffee production decreased by about 70%. In some areas like Muranga County, the decline was up to fivefold and coffee is now replaced by food crops in lower altitudes due to erratic rainfall and increased temperature. Projected mean temperature increase between 3ºC and 4ºC may result in yield losses of 8 - 22 percent by 2050 unless climate smart adaptation practices are undertaken. Adaptation depends on farmers noticing climate change has indeed affected them and perceiving the need for, and benefits from new production strategies. However, there is marked difference in the way scientists and farmers perceive climate change and how it affects agriculture. Therefore, this study aims to: 1) explore how cropping systems are changing; 2) analyse how scientists and farmers respectively perceive climate change; 3) present farm-level adaptation strategies and how climate smart strategies strengthen adaptive capacity of farmers. The study is based on interview of 120 farmers and collection of meteorological data. The data were analyzed in four directions: (1) farmers' perceptions about climate change, (2) trends for temperature and rainfall over 30 years, (3) relations between farmers' perception and climate data, (4) identification of adaptation strategies and adaptive capacity based on livelihood adaptation frameworks. The results revealed 1) 91 percent of the farmers perceived climate has changed, observing extended warmer seasons, changes in onset and cessation of rainfall which is indeed supported by meteorological data. 2) Only 54 percent of farmers are responding to the perceived changes, introducing climate smart practices such as varietal change, intercropping, irrigation and crop-livestock mixed farming. 3) Access to finance, human capacity building and information on weather are vital to strengthen farmers' adaptive capacity. We recommend further researches on future suitable places for coffee, with business as usual and climate smart practices to predict future winners and losers. (Texte intégral

Innovation and Transition in Family Farming: How Dairy Farming is Emerging in the Coffee Agroforestry Systems of Central Kenya

Emerging challenges to farming drives farming systems to have three strategies; intensification options optimizing resources and technological innovations, firm diversification orchestrating interdependencies among sectoral boundaries, and transition to new system and trajectories. The trajectory shift emphasis on how new sectoral systems (dairy sector) emerges, and what is the link with the previous sectoral system (coffee) in terms of impact pathway. This paper, therefore, presents (1) how the transition from coffee to dairy based farming system in the coffee agroforestry systems of Murang?a County, central Kenya is taking place? (2) What derives for the transition from coffee to dairy based systems? And (3) what contributes the transition from intensified coffee based to dairy based farming system on household food security? Our data collection consists of three sources. Household survey (120), focus group discussions (9 FGDs) and stakeholders? interview (15 interviews). Coffee production in Kenya has declined by 65% in the last 30 years, and as much as 5 times in Murang?a County, a major coffee producing area. The dairy sector is, however, in opposite visualizing sharp increase in volume of production and price. The study finds that innovation process and actors? interaction differs for the coffee and dairy based systems. Actors in the coffee are limited, the system is highly centralized with limited options to farmers to process and market their product while the dairy sector is less informally controlled by demand based business, comparatively numerous actors with limited government intervention, various options to process and marketing products. Exponential increase in production cost which is a function of coffee diseases and institutional failure (financial and none financial) of the coffee sector while strong public and private intuitions are emerging in the dairy sector is the other driver of the transition

Perception of climate change and farm level adaptation choices in central Kenya

Farmers are experiencing the need to adapt to climate change, and are developing different strategies. This article contributes to the understanding of farmers' adaptation choices, their determinants and their implications, in relation to the household income. In 2014, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 220 household surveys were carried out with farmers in coffee and food crop zones in Central Kenya. The Heckman model was used to evaluate the determinants of adaptation choices and their marginal effect. Farmers from the coffee zone or from the food crop zone perceive and adapt differently to climate change. Farmers who are aware of changes in climate are more willing to explore adaptation strategies. A positive relationship is found between adaptation to climate change and household income. The highest payoff/return is achieved if multiple adaptation choices are used rather than a single strategy. The choices of strategies are also determined by household characteristics, resource endowment, institutional variables, and climate information. The strong correlation between socio-institutional variables and adaptation capacity suggests the need for the establishment and strengthening of local institutions, such as micro-finance and extension. (Résumé d'auteur

Climate smart strategies to strengthen coffee farmers' adaptive capacity to climate change

In the last 30 years Kenya's national coffee production decreased by about 70%. In some areas like Muranga County, the decline was up to fivefold and coffee is now replaced by food crops in lower altitudes due to erratic rainfall and increased temperature. Projected mean temperature increase between 3ºC and 4ºC may result in yield losses of 8 - 22 percent by 2050 unless climate smart adaptation practices are undertaken. Adaptation depends on farmers noticing climate change has indeed affected them and perceiving the need for, and benefits from new production strategies. However, there is marked difference in the way scientists and farmers perceive climate change and how it affects agriculture. Therefore, this study aims to: 1) explore how cropping systems are changing; 2) analyse how scientists and farmers respectively perceive climate change; 3) present farm-level adaptation strategies and how climate smart strategies strengthen adaptive capacity of farmers. The study is based on interview of 120 farmers and collection of meteorological data. The data were analyzed in four directions: (1) farmers' perceptions about climate change, (2) trends for temperature and rainfall over 30 years, (3) relations between farmers' perception and climate data, (4) identification of adaptation strategies and adaptive capacity based on livelihood adaptation frameworks. The results revealed 1) 91 percent of the farmers perceived climate has changed, observing extended warmer seasons, changes in onset and cessation of rainfall which is indeed supported by meteorological data. 2) Only 54 percent of farmers are responding to the perceived changes, introducing climate smart practices such as varietal change, intercropping, irrigation and crop-livestock mixed farming. 3) Access to finance, human capacity building and information on weather are vital to strengthen farmers' adaptive capacity. We recommend further researches on future suitable places for coffee, with business as usual and climate smart practices to predict future winners and losers

The role of systems of innovation in adapting to climate change: The case of the Kenyan coffee and dairy sectors

Research on sectoral systems of innovation has paid little attention to adaptation to cli¬mate change, notably in agriculture. This article, therefore, explores the role of systems of innovation in adapting to climate change. It focuses on two case studies in Kenyan agriculture, i.e. the coffee and dairy sectors, which differ in terms of stakeholders and insti¬tutional setups. In the coffee sector, the actors' system is highly centralized and the system of innovation is oriented towards technology development. In contrast, the dairy sector consists of a diversity of actors, and its system of innovation is based on institutional build¬ing and marketing. The capacity to innovate and adapt, therefore, depends on institutional arrangements in addition to technology development, suggesting that the dairy sector in Kenya could be an example for the coffee sector

Estimation of Heterosis of Elite Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids in 2014 at Bako, Ethiopia

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important food crop in Ethiopia, but its productivity in farmers’ fields throughout the country is generally low due to use of traditional low-yielding open-pollinated maize varieties and limitation of improved maize varieties. Exploitation of maize heterosis  through the development of modern high yielding hybrids and synthetics  has  gradually replaced the  low  yielding  maize  populations at a faster rate in maize growing regions of the world. The tested 48 single cross hybrids were developed by crossing eight inbred lines as females along with six other inbredlines as males using design II mating schemes ( l x t)  in the year 2013.  The hybrids along with standard checks were evaluated at Bako national maize research center during 2014 main season using 5 x 10 alpha lattice design with two replications. The objectives were to evaluate the heterotic performance of the elite maize hybrids with respect to yield and yield related traits. Line × tester analysis was used to estimate the combining ability for yield related traits. The Statistical Analysis Systems (SAS) was used to analyze the data. Data were recorded for grain yield and yield related traits. Analysis of variance revealed significant variation at (p< 0.01) for most of traits and at (p<0.05) for days to maturity, number of kernels per row among genotypes except number of ears per plant. The hybrids also showed significant variation except ears per plant and number of kernels per rows. L6 x T2 (13.2 t ha-1), L4 x T2 (12.5 tha-1) and L3 x T3 (10.9 t ha- 1) performed better for grain yield and higher heterosis for most traits studied. Besides, high positive heterosis for grain yield and its components was found for greater than twenty four of the studied hybrids. It can be concluded that for the heterotic hybrids further evaluation of these breeding materials at more locations and year, is advisable to confirm the promising results observed in the present study.   Key words: Grain yield, Heterosis, Maiz