Sustainable Agricultural Practices among Rural Youth in Kenya: A Study of Attitudes and Behaviours
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2165Abstract
This paper examines the attitudes and behaviors of rural youth in Kenya towards sustainable agricultural practices. Given the critical role of agriculture in Kenya's economy and the significance of the youth demographic, understanding these attitudes and behaviours is of paramount importance. By analysing existing research, this paper identifies the key factors influencing the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among rural youth in Kenya and highlight the potential barriers and enablers that can facilitate their engagement in sustainable farming methods. The successful engagement of youth in sustainable agriculture in Kenya requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the numerous obstacles they face while capitalizing on their unique potential and interests. Given their position at the intersection of agricultural heritage and technological modernity, strategies aimed at youth engagement must be comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and forward-thinking.
Keywords: Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Rural Youth, Attitudes and Behaviours, Kenya
References
Aker, J. C. (2019). Dial 'A' for agriculture: a review of information and communication technologies for agricultural extension in developing countries. Agricultural Economics, 42(6), 631-647.
Ampaire, E. L., J. Jassogne, and P. Divine. (2018). "Youth Engagement in Sustainable Agriculture: Lessons from coffee value chains in Uganda." Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds.
Bello, A., A. Abdulai, and V. M. Manyong. (2017). "Farmers' Perceptions and Adaptation to Climate Change: An Estimation of Willingness to Pay and the Decision to Adapt in Nigeria." African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
Bezu, S., Kassie, G. T., Shiferaw, B., & Ricker-Gilbert, J. (2021). Impact of improved maize adoption on welfare of farm households in Malawi: A panel data analysis. Journal of Development Studies, 50(8), 1245-1257.
FAO (2019). The Future of Our Land: Youth in Agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
FAO (2021). The State of Food and Agriculture 2021: Innovation in Family Farming. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2018). Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Call to Action. Retrieved from FAO website
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2019). The role of women in agriculture. Rome: FAO.
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2021). The State of Food and Agriculture 2021: Innovation in family farming. Rome: FAO.
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). (2019). Investing in rural people in Kenya. Retrieved from IFAD website
Kahane, R., Hodgkin, T., Jaenicke, H., Hoogendoorn, C., Hermann, M., Hughes, J. D. A., Padulosi, S., & Looney, N. (2020). Agrobiodiversity for food security, health and income. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 33(4), 671-693.
Kahiluoto, H., Kaseva, J., Balek, J., Olesen, J. E., Ruiz‐Ramos, M., Gobin, A., ... & Mäkinen, H. (2021). Decline in climate resilience of European wheat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(1), 123-128.
Kanyama-Phiri, G. Y., Wellard, K., & Snapp, S. (2017). Sustainable Agriculture in Central and Eastern Kenya. In Snapp, S. and Pound, B. (eds.) Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development, pp. 441-470. Elsevier Inc.
Kassie, M., Jaleta, M., Shiferaw, B., Mmbando, F., & Mekuria, M. (2020). Adoption of interrelated sustainable agricultural practices in smallholder systems: Evidence from rural Tanzania. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 80(3), 525-540.
Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). (2017). Sustainable Agriculture: A Pathway out of Poverty for Kenya’s Smallholder Farmers. Retrieved from KALRO website
Knowler, D., & Bradshaw, B. (2017). Farmers’ adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research. Food Policy, 32(1), 25-48.
LaRue, B., T. G. Schmitz, K. A. Inwood, and H. P. W. Jr. (2019). "Sustainable agricultural practices in Senegal: Between climate change and reducing rural exodus". Review of Development Economics.
Moseley, W. G., & Gray, L. (2018). Hanging by a thread: cotton, globalization, and poverty in Africa. Ohio University Press.
Mugambiwa, S. S., & Shava, S. (2018). Climate change adaptation and resilience in Africa: the role of the youth. Jamba (Potchefstroom, South Africa), 10(1), 512.
Mureithi, F. W. (2020). Social media, youth political participation and the public sphere in Kenya. Journal of African Media Studies, 12(1), 39-56.
Ngugi, I. K., Gitau, G. K., & Nyoro, J. K. (2019). Access to high-value markets by smallholder farmers of African indigenous vegetables in Kenya. Regoverning Markets Innovative Practice series, IIED, London.
Njuki, J., Kaaria, S., Chamunorwa, A., & Chiuri, W. (2019). Linking smallholder farmers to markets, gender and intra-household dynamics: Does the choice of commodity matter?. The European Journal of Development Research, 23(3), 426-443.
Odhiambo, G. O. (2019). Higher education quality in Kenya: A critical reflection of key challenges. Quality in Higher Education, 17(3), 299-315.
Omondi, G. O., & Ryan, J. (2020). The role of entrepreneurship education on job creation among youths in Nigeria. International Journal of Business and Economics Research, 9(3), 58-64.
Pretty, J. (2018). Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 363(1491), 447-465.
Proctor, F. J., & Lucchesi, V. (2020). Small-scale farming and youth in an era of rapid rural change. IIED/HIVOS.
Prokopy, L. S., Floress, K., Klotthor-Weinkauf, D., & Baumgart-Getz, A. (2018). Determinants of agricultural best management practice adoption: Evidence from the literature. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 63(5), 300-311.
Riechers, M., Barkmann, J., & Tscharntke, T. (2020). Perceptions of cultural ecosystem services from urban green. Ecosystem Services, 42, 101078.
Sumberg, J., Anyidoho, N. A., Leavy, J., te Lintelo, D. J., & Wellard, K. (2021). Introduction: The young people and agriculture ‘problem’ in Africa. IDS Bulletin, 43(6), 1-8.
UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development. UNESCO.
Valbuena, D., P. Gicheru, P. Erenstein, and O. Tui. (2020). "Conservation Agriculture in mixed crop-livestock systems: Scoping crop residue trade-offs in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia". Field Crops Research.
Wangui, E.E. (2020). Women and sustainable agriculture: Interviews with 14 agents of change. McFarland.
White, B. (2020). Agriculture and the Generation Problem: Rural Youth, Employment and the Future of Farming. IDS Bulletin, 43(6), 9-19.
World Bank (2020). World Development Report 2020: Gender Equality and Development. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
World Bank (2021). Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
World Bank. (2019). World Bank Open Data. World Bank.
