Gender in adoption of improved pigeon peas and its effect on food security Kenya

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the adoption of improved pigeon peas in female-headed households (FHHs) and male-headed households (MHHs) in semi-arid Kenya and its effect on yield as a proxy for household food security. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 450 households through a multi-stage sampling approach. We applied the endogenous switching regression model to establish the determinants of adoption decision and their effects on yield. Results showed that adoption increased crop yield. The adopting MHHs had significantly higher yield compared with the FHHs. The difference in yield was explained by both observed and unobserved characteristics in gender of the household head.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture
• environment
• food security
• climate change
• gender and diversity
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stella Matere

Stella Matere is a researcher in the Department of Socio-economics, Policy and Biometrics with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization. Based at the Food Crops Research Centre, Muguga. Her research focus is on climate smart agriculture, agricultural product value chain analysis and gender analysis in agriculture.

John R. Busienei

John Rono Busienei is a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. He is an expert in Business management and agricultural adaptation to climate change.

Patrick Irungu

Patrick Irungu is a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. He has research interest in input supply analysis to production and marketing, climate change and globalization, agricultural commodity trade and agricultural policy analysis.

Oliver Lee Ernest Mbatia

Oliver Lee Ernest Mbatia is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. His main focus is institutional challenges affecting agricultural production, marketing, trade and consumption of agri-food commodities and Climate change.

Kizito Kwena

Kizito Kwena is a researcher in the Department of Natural Resource Management with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Agricultural Machinery Research Institute in Katumani, Kenya. His focus is on soil physics, soil productivity and Climate Smart Agriculture.