Agricultural Production Systems and Rural Household Food Security in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

The period 2001-2011 has witnessed a sustained decline in the output of most agricultural production. This has led to an indictment of the overall performance of Kenya’s agricultural sector making it increasingly difficult to meet the national goal of food security and self-sufficiency. With specific reference to Uasin Gishu County, this book identifies the various agricultural production systems, and their changes and effect on rural household food security. The author avers that cereal/root mixed crop, highland perennial crop, and commercial larger and small holder; rain-fed, among others, are the most common agricultural production systems practiced in Uasin Gishu County. She, however, notes that these systems, having been introduced to the county during the colonial period, are outdated and thus not serving the current needs of the sector. In addition, the author observes that changes such as decrease in land sizes, high cost of farm inputs, and declining soil fertility have led to food insecurity (hunger gap) in Uasin Gishu County between May and December every year during the period under study. Whenever there is food insecurity, households are forced by the situation to engage in off-farm activities, skip meals, borrow food from friends and relatives, and in dire circumstances, sell their livestock and even land. To mitigate against this recurrent problem, the author calls for the need for farmers to use certified seeds of higher yields, a move from specific preferred foods proclivity, and coupled with building on indigenous knowledge of agricultural management, the development, adoption and incorporation of new technologies in production. This book is a useful resource to all stakeholders in the agricultural sector, both at policy and practice levels.