Exploring inclusiveness of vulnerable and marginalized people in the cassava value chain in the Lake Region, Kenya

Vulnerable and marginalised groups (VMGs) who comprise widows, orphans, people living with disability and HIV, have not been given sufficient attention in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by policy makers, development partners, research, and extension, yet they comprise nearly one-quarter of all smallholder farmers. This study explored inclusion of VMGs in cassava value chain in the Lake Region of Kenya. Formal survey, focus group discussions (FGD), and key informant interviews (KIIs) were used to collect data from VMGs, common interest groups (CIGs) and stakeholders in the cassava value chain. The results showed that the majority of VMG farmers were women, mainly widows, orphans, people living with HIV, and difficulty in mobility. Compared to CIGs, there were significant differences (P 0.05) in access to value chain support services.  Key barriers reinforcing marginalization were policy, socio economic and technological in nature.   It is argued that affirmative action that aims to reach the marginalised farmers and actors in cassava value chain should entail national and institutional policy frameworks to enhance visibility and involvement of VMGs in technology development and innovation as well as in the design and implementation of projects geared towards improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The findings of this study suggest the need for mapping and assessing VMGs for targeted value chain institutional support to access inputs, training, financing and market linkages in order to close gaps in cassava production and marketing.  It is concluded that the cassava value chain in the Lake Region is less inclusive for VMGs. Thus, the study recommends affirmative action and establishment of a platform for VMG farmers to increase their voice in decision making

Effect of bio-stimulators on Growth and Yield of Cowpea leaves (Vigna unguiculata Walp) produced in Juja and Katumani in Kenya

Bio-stimulators are organic products that have been found to enhance crop growth and productivity through mitigating against biotic and abiotic stresses. Four Cowpea varieties namely K80, M66, KVU 27-1 and Kenya Kunde; commercially released & adopted by local households for vegetable production were used to evaluate the impact of bio-stimulators on growth and leaf yield of cowpea in Juja and Katumani from May to July, 2013. The treatments were arranged in a factorial structure, laid out in an RCBD, which were combination of 9 levels of bio-stimulators, with the 4 cowpea varieties planted per site, and giving a total of 36 treatments for each site replicated 3 times. The plots measured 2.5m by 2.5m with spacing of 60cm by 20cm. Parameters under investigation included germination rate, days to germination, plant height, and number of leaves produced and number of nodules formed. Cultural practices such as weeding and pest control were done as need arose. The results showed that there were significant differences in days to germination, germination rate, plant population, chlorophyll levels, leaf weight, plant height and leaf area but not in leaf area between Juja and Katumani. Earliest germination and highest leaf weight were in Katumai whereas highest plant population, germination rate and chlorophyll levels and leaf area were in Juja. Humates improved germination rate, plant height, leaf weight and nodule development in Juja while seaweed extracts improved days to germination, germination rate, plant height, leaf yield, leaf weight and nodule formation in Katumani. Interaction between site and bio-stimulators was recorded in germination rate, days to germination, plant population and in number of leaves produced. Therefore bio-stimulators should be adopted in production of cowpea leaves particularly offseason for food & nutritional security and increasing household incomes in Keny

The potential of neglected and underutilized species for improving diets and nutrition

The paper highlights the novel and ingenious approaches Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey used to prioritize a rich diversity of NUS for healthier diets and improved nutrition, and how this knowledge was used to mainstream these plant species into production and consumption systems. The paper concludes with some perspectives on the way forward for NUS and the community working on them in meeting the challenges of malnutrition and environmental sustainability in the 2030 sustainable development context

Factors Influencing Adoption of Tissue Culture Banana in Western Kenya

The objective of the study was to assess the factors influencing the likelihood of adoption and intensity of adoption of Tissue culture banana in four counties of West Kenya. The study utilized cross-section data to analyze the effect of farmers’ demographic, socioeconomic and institutional setting, market access and physical attributes on the probability and intensity of TCB adoption. A double hurdle model was fitted on the data collected from randomly selected 330 farmers between July 2011 and November 2011. Secondary data were also used to complement the primary data. The study depicted relatively low adoption of TCB was 32% % of total sampled size. The results of the study provided empirical evidence of a significant influence on likelihood TCB adoption were availability of TCB planting material, proportion of banana income to the total farm income, per capita household expenditure and the location of the farmer in Kisii County, while those that significantly influenced the intensity of TCB adoption were. occupation of farmers, occupation of farmers, family size, labour source, farm acreage, farm fertility status, availability/access of TCB plantlets to farmers, distance to banana market, use of manure in planting bananas, agricultural extension services, average index technology attributes, bundumy was positive (sugarcane zone). Therefore, the results of the study suggest that the probability of adoption and intensity of use of TCB should be enhanced by taking cognizance of these variables in order to meet the priority needs of smallholder farmers who were target group and to alleviate the food shortage problem in the country in general and in the study area in particular. Opening up more TCB multiplication centres and widening the technology to other banana cultivars would enhance the impact of the technology

Characterization of isolates that cause black rot of crucifers in East Africa

A study was conducted in the East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in the months of July and August 2009 with the objectives of assessing the status of black rot and race structure of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in the three countries. Samples infected with black rot were collected from farmers’ fields mainly from Brassica oleracea crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kales). A total of 399 farms were surveyed of which 260 were from Kenya, 91 from Tanzania and 48 from Uganda. Following successful isolations, a total of 249 isolates of the causal agent, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris were recovered. Pathogenicity of all isolates was confirmed on B. oleracea susceptible cultivars Copenhagen Market F1 and Wirosa F1. Sixty of the 250 isolates were race-typed using a differential set Brassica spp. Only two races, 1 (Kenya and Tanzania) and 4 (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) were observed however, another race (5) was observed from one isolate recovered from a B. rapa sample obtained from Tanzania in 2003. Genomic fingerprinting with repetitive-PCR revealed clusters that did not depict significant correlations between isolates and geographical location, isolates and host adaptation or isolates and race. However, it did demonstrate existence of genetic differences within the East African X. campestris pv. campestris population indicating that it is not a similar clonal population of the same genetic background

School meals and food systems: Rethinking the consequences for climate, environment, biodiversity, and food sovereignty

There is an urgent need to rethink our global food systems. The world is facing a nutrition crisis, and the way we produce and consume food is altering the equilibrium of our planet, causing environmental damage and biodiversity loss, and climate change which further compromises food security. Children are disproportionately affected, and school meals are being increasingly recognized as a key investment for governments to tackle these challenges. Through national school meals programs, around 418 million children currently receive a meal at school every day. This provides an exceptional opportunity for the implementation planet-friendly policies which have enormous co-benefits for child health and the wider society. To explore these opportunities, this White Paper was prepared by The Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, an initiative of The School Meals Coalition (SMC), a multilateral coalition of 95+ countries aiming to improve and expand national school meal programs for all children. The White Paper, written in collaboration with 85 organizations worldwide, explains how implementing planet-friendly school meal programs can provide far reaching co-benefits for public health and human capital. The paper proposes that to maximize the transformative potential of school meal programs, governments should focus on two sets of policies. First, those that can create immediate benefits for children and the planet, including: adopting nutritious, diverse, whole foods menus; switching to clean, efficient and sustainable energy for cooking; minimizing food and package waste; and empowering children by establishing life-long healthy and sustainable food habits through holistic food education. Secondly, leveraging the power of procurement, governments can create demand-driven changes to support sustainable ecological and regenerative agriculture practices, which promote biodiversity, resilience, and food sovereignty

Integrated strategies for durable rice blast resistance in sub-Saharan Africa

Rice is a key food security crop in Africa. The importance of rice has led to increasing country-specific, regional, and multinational efforts to develop germplasm and policy initiatives to boost production for a more food-secure continent. Currently, this critically important cereal crop is predominantly cultivated by small-scale farmers under suboptimal conditions in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Rice blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, represents one of the major biotic constraints to rice production under small-scale farming systems of Africa, and developing durable disease resistance is therefore of critical importance. In this review, we provide an overview of the major advances by a multinational collaborative research effort to enhance sustainable rice production across SSA and how it is affected by advances in regional policy. As part of the multinational effort, we highlight the importance of joint international partnerships in tackling multiple crop production constraints through integrated research and outreach programs. More specifically, we highlight recent progress in establishing international networks for rice blast disease surveillance, farmer engagement, monitoring pathogen virulence spectra, and the establishment of regionally based blast resistance breeding programs. To develop blastresistant, high yielding rice varieties for Africa, we have established a breeding pipeline that utilizes real-Time data of pathogen diversity and virulence spectra, to identify major and minor blast resistance genes for introgression into locally adapted rice cultivars. In addition, the project has developed a package to support sustainable rice production through regular stakeholder engagement, training of agricultural extension officers, and establishment of plant clinics