Farmers’ Preferences for the Design of Fruit Fly Pest-Free Area (FF-PFA) in Kerio-Valley: A Latent-Class Approach

Fruit flies are a very important group of pests for many countries due to their potential to cause damage in fruits thus restricting access to international markets for plant products that can host fruit flies. The high probability of introduction of fruit flies associated with a wide range of hosts’ results in restrictions imposed by many importing countries to accept fruits from areas in which these pests are established. For these reasons, establishment and maintenance of pest free areas for fruit flies (FF-PFAs) is receiving considerable attention in the current policy debates. Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has taken the lead to establish and help maintain FF-PFAs in the main mango production zones of Elgeyo-Marakwet County of Kenya. However, as the ultimate success of the programme depends on farmers’ judgment and acceptance, acquiring information about potential demand is of paramount importance for policy advice. In this paper, we assess the demand in terms of consumer preferences and willingness to pay for FF-PFAs using a stated choice experiment method (SCE). A novel feature of this paper is that it focuses on how the FF-PFA should be designed and presented. Results from the latent class model (LCM) reveal that farmers prefer FF-PFAs featuring training, market information with sales contract, large benefits to other mango value-chain actors and when they are recommended by officials. Keywords: FF-PFA, SCE, LCM, Farmers’ preference, Mang

Testing for Cointegration and Granger Causality: Evidence from Selected Indigenous Egg Markets in Kenya

Despite the increasing consumer demand for indigenous eggs, particularly among the urban rich in Kenya, empirical analysis of spatial market integration has received limited attention. This study is an attempt to analyze the existence of market integration and price transmission among four selected indigenous egg markets. The study uses secondary data obtained on prices of eggs on a weekly basis during the year 2014. Analysis of Cointegration and Granger causality was attained using Johansen cointegration approach. Interestingly, results indicate integration in the indigenous eggs markets in Kenya. While prices of eggs in Kisumu and Eldoret towns Granger-caused each other, there was no evidence to account for price interactions among the rest of the markets. These findings strongly indicate asymmetric price transmission within the markets. Taking advantage of the promising niche provided by indigenous eggs requires policies aimed at unlocking information asymmetry as well as promoting market access among farmers. Key words: Market integration, Granger causality, indigenous eggs, Keny

Consumer Acceptance of Edible Insects for Non-Meat Protein in Western Kenya

The objective of this paper is twofold. First, the authors aim to assess acceptance of edible insects for food and as an alternative to conventional meat. Second, they employ a binary logistic regression modelling approach to determine the factors that influence consumer acceptance. The study exploits data from a consumer survey from western Kenya (N = 234) conducted in October 2015. More than three quarters of the respondents accepted edible insects for food and as a possible alternative to meat. The study adopts a robust framework that captures a complex factor-evaluation process that consumers simultaneously goes through in order to accept or reject new food products when they become available. Consistent with this framework, the choice of edible insects for food was driven by many motives, including ones related to familiarity, convenience, social and environmental responsibility, economic incentives and barriers, and by factors related to one’s own risk-attitude and altruistic concerns for the well-being of other value-chain actors. These results present great implications to policies targeting dietary interventions and the prospects of addressing environmental challenges through the household food choice