Socially inclusive climate information services in Kenya: Mid-year report 2023

This report summarizes three activities that were implemented to support socially inclusive scaling of climate information services (CIS). These activities included a workshop, radio programs and field visits. A workshop titled ‘Strengthening climate networks to support community capacities’, two piloted radio programs and field visits to climate observers are described. Collectively, these activities build capacity and learning with and among climate networks

Insights from positive deviance approach to support socially inclusive climate adaptation in Kenya dairy systems

Transformation to climate-smart livestock systems can generate multiple trade-offs and synergies. In Kenyan dairy farming systems, gender norms and practices influence ownership and decision-making about information, innovations, and labor. Positive deviance is used to identify common practices and deviations from those practices in dairy households. The approach provides the opportunity to learn about ‘hidden’, less socially acceptable behaviors

Hidden pathways: approaches to understand intra-household gender relations and climate adaptation in Kenya dairy systems

The transformation of livestock systems towards sustainable climate smart systems will generate multiple trade-offs and synergies. In this paper, we describe how gender relations shape, and are shaped by, climate adaptation innovations, specifically the uptake of innovations in dairy producing households in Western Kenya. Our research complements a producer-led scaling intervention in which positive deviants are those who, all else being equal, outperform their neighbours. These ‘adaptation pioneers’ then lead the scaling of climate smart feed and fodder innovations in their communities. However, intra-household dynamics surrounding uptake of innovations often are uneven and can reinforce inequitable distribution of benefits and burdens. We develop a positive deviance framework to identify common and ‘hidden’ patterns and pathways in intra-household gender relations related to dairy innovations, such as decision-making surrounding income and labour. Qualitative data was collected through 20 sex disaggregated focus group discussions, 10 key informant interviews, and field observations in Nandi and Bomet counties over multiple visits in 2022-2023. Using vignettes, we explore what ‘typical’ and less common, or ‘deviant’ household relations are, and whether such deviations are socially acceptable. Thematic analysis was performed in NVivo using iterative deductive and inductive approaches. We find that most households are patriarchal- men are the primary decision-makers and, unsurprisingly, this is generally also socially acceptable in the community. However, both women and men desire more equitable relations and outcomes in their households, but due to social norms that guide what is socially acceptable in the community, these relationships are not discussed openly in society, especially because they undermine men’s roles as heads of household. Married women also negotiate and navigate decision-making spaces, often in hidden ways. This research generates insights into methodological approaches to reveal complex yet oversimplified dimensions of gender relations, such as who has agency, and when and how agency is negotiated. Our findings highlight the potential trade-offs and synergies that may occur through producer-led scaling and sets a foundation for the design of gender responsive scaling approaches that can foster synergies in socially equitable climate adaptation strategies and outcomes

TH3.2: Youth transitions and livestock in Kenya

Globally, youth transitions to adulthood are becoming more complex. The relative importance of key milestones that are used to describe the transition from youth to adulthood are culturally embedded and change across generations. So called ‘critical moments' may include completing education, moving from school to the labour force, leaving home, marriage, and parenthood. In the global south, sub–Saharan Africa in particular, agricultural and livestock assets are also culturally valued and often critical to supporting major achievements in transitions. What can we learn from youth studies to better understand youth engagement in agriculture and livestock sectors? This work aims to bridge youth and gender studies to explore young women's and men's transitions and the various ways that livestock feature in the achievement of key milestones. What are young women's and men's values and experiences as they enter adulthood? How does livestock feature in youth transitions and for whom? Recognizing that gender and age intersect to create and constrain youth opportunities and experiences, we undertake a gendered analysis of livestock value chain actors to explore their perspectives on the importance and attainment of milestones. We use a mixed-methods approach that includes 700 market surveys, 38 focus group discussions, and 20 key informant interviews in 6 counties in Kenya that include pastoral, agro-pastoral, and mixed crop systems in both peri-urban and rural settings. We describe the shifts in cultural values across diverse contexts over time and the various roles that livestock play in supporting youth transitions

FR2.3: Participatory Rangeland Management: Understanding Women's Engagement and Implications for Social Change

Participatory Rangeland Management (PRM) works with customary institutions in dryland pastoral settings to strengthen communities' abilities to manage their rangelands. The process includes the creation of management committees that develop plans to manage resources that support resilience to climate change, such as restoration of grazing areas. This study describes the process of women's engagement in PRM and what it means for women's participation in decision-making processes in resource management and broader gender relations in the community and household. The study takes place in 4 communities in Baringo County, Kenya, an area severely affected by climate change effects such as drought. We use a mixed-methods approach and draw upon 56 intra-household interviews, 34 key informant interviews, and 8 FGDs. We first contextualize social change in pastoral settings, that includes describing the influence of gender sensitization efforts of development organizations and increasing numbers of women assuming leadership positions. Women actively participate in PRM committees through negotiating and advocating for protection of resources, notably those that they frequently use, such as water sources. Women also earn income from PRM related activities, that garners more support from their spouses to attend meetings. Women have also taken up so called ‘men's' activities such as beekeeping. PRM processes, that are part of wider social, economic and environmental change, bolster women's participation in decision making processes across multiple domains. Constraints however persist and limit women's potential to lead groups that include men, attend seminars, and source labor to manage domestic tasks while they participate in civic activities. These findings contribute to empirical research concerning governance of rangelands, to understanding the potential of existing frameworks to measure women's participation and provide practical lessons regarding gender responsive development

Farmers’ preferences and willingness to pay for traits of sorghum varieties: Informing product development and breeding programs in Tanzania

Smallholder farmers’ decisions to adopt improved varieties are expected to be critically governed by their preferences and willingness to pay for different traits of these varieties. This study examined farmers’ preferences for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) variety attributes and estimated their willingness to pay (WTP) for these attributes using choice experiment data from >1,300 sorghum farmers in Tanzania. Empirical findings showed that farmers had strong preferences for sorghum varieties that were tolerant to environmental stresses, high yielding, early maturing, fetching higher grain prices, and white in color. Significant heterogeneity was observed in farmers’ preferences across various traits. The WTP estimates revealed that farmers were willing to pay the highest premium for tolerance to environmental stresses, amounting, on average, to three times higher than the WTP for other traits. Our results have important implications for demand-driven variety development that could contribute to improving crop productivity and household welfare

Youth transitions: Perspectives from Kenya

Youth transitions to adulthood are becoming more complex around the world. The relative importance of key milestones that are used to describe the transition from youth to adulthood are culturally embedded and change across generations. Such life course events may include completing education, moving from school to the labour force, leaving home, marriage, and parenthood. In sub–Saharan Africa, agricultural and livestock assets are also culturally relevant and often critical to supporting major achievements in transitions. What can we learn from youth studies to better understand youth engagement in agriculture and livestock sectors? The purpose of this paper is to draw upon youth studies to describe the diversity of youth experiences, specifically young women’s and men’s values associated with certain life course events, the factors that influence their opportunities and constraints, and how and for whom livestock play a supporting role during transitions. We use a mixed-methods approach that includes 332 market surveys and 24 focus group discussions with youth, and 20 key informant interviews in 5 counties in Kenya that include pastoral, agro-pastoral, and mixed crop systems in both peri-urban and rural settings. Young women’s and men’s values, experiences and opportunities vary. Livestock play critical roles in many events, especially completion of education and marriage. Identifying strategic livestock interventions to increase youth agency in transitions would bolster young people’s abilities to navigate and negotiate challenging circumstances