Nutrient-Dense Crops for Rural and Peri-Urban Smallholders in Kenya - A Regional Social Accounting Approach

authored by: Henning Krause, Anja Faße, Ulrike Grote
Abstract: Kenya ranks among the countries with the highest micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Due to their high micronutrient content, African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) can be a solution to this problem, and urban areas in Kenya have seen a rise in demand for these crops in the previous decade. To fill the gap between supply and demand, programmes to promote AIV production have been implemented in rural and peri-urban areas. However, the effects of increased AIV production on income and food security in the regional economies are not clear. Thus, in this analysis, we first evaluate differences between the livelihoods of household groups with different levels of food security in rural and peri-urban Kenya using a two-step cluster analysis. Then, we generate a regional social accounting matrix (SAM) and calculate the direct and indirect income effects of AIVs and other crops grown in the area using a multiplier analysis. For the analysis, a total of 706 small-scale vegetable producers in four counties in Kenya were interviewed in 2015. Households in rural areas were more food insecure, especially with respect to the utilization and stability dimension of food security. Multiplier analysis showed increased indirect income effects of AIVs in the regional economy compared to those of many cash crops. We suggest further promoting the production of AIVs in rural and peri-urban Kenya.
Organisation(s): Institute of Environmental Economics and World Trade
External Organisation(s): Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Type: Article
Journal: Sustainability
Volume: 11
ISSN: 2071-1050
Publication date: 01.06.2019
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Geography, Planning and Development, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113017 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.15488/8620 (Access: Open)