Increasing livelihood through use of adapted crop varieties—case study from a semiarid region of East Kenya

ABSTRACT

Livelihood status, smallholder farming, and climate change are directly interconnected in sub-Sahara Africa. Simulations predict that yields of main crops will decrease and will be negatively impacted due to climate change within the next 30–40 years. The results of a simulation and survey about land use management and demography reveal the competitiveness of drought adapted pearl millet varieties concerning yields and the potential impact on sustainable smallholder farming in a semiarid region of Kenya. We highlight the ability of adapted crops to improve livelihood through increased income generation and food security with the help of optimized farm management.

KEYWORDS:

• Farm Management Handbook of Kenya
• food security
• pearl millet
• smallholder farming
• sub-Sahara Africa

Acknowledgments

We thank the National Museums of Kenya for logistic support, Onesmus Kioko (Nairobi, Kenya) and Samson Kivulu (Kaunange, Kenya) for invaluable field assistance. We are grateful for valuable comments on a first version of this article by the anonymous referees.