IMPACT OF EXPORT HORTICULTURE FARMING ON PER CAPITA CALORIE INTAKE OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN EASTERN AND CENTRAL PROVINCES IN KENYA
In attempting to achieve household food security for smallholder farmers, synergies and tradeoffs exist between cash cropping, food cropping and food security. Available evidence on the impact of cash cropping on food security shows mixed results. The objective of this paper was to assess the imp...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics
2015-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.foodandagriculturejournal.com/vol3.no4.pp65.pdf |
| Summary: | In attempting to achieve household food security for smallholder farmers, synergies and
tradeoffs exist between cash cropping, food cropping and food security. Available evidence
on the impact of cash cropping on food security shows mixed results. The objective of this
paper was to assess the impact of export horticulture farming on food security of smallholder
farmers in Kenya in two provinces in different agro-ecological zones with different resource
and infrastructural endowments, crop growing and marketing conditions. This was done
using propensity score matching. The results indicate a positive impact on food security in
high potential area and a negative impact in the arid area that is already food deficit.
Encouraging export horticulture or cash cropping, aiming at achieving household food
security, may not be a one size fit all. Regional differences and particular growing and
marketing conditions as well as intra household income distribution patterns play a role and
should be considered. |
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| ISSN: | 2147-8988 2147-8988 |