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Livestock Diversification for Improved Resilience and Welfare Outcomes Under Climate Risks in Kenya

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Abstract

The study contributes to the emerging literature on livestock composition and resilience by applying two waves of a panel dataset of 360 rural households in Kenya. The paper investigates the role of livestock diversification in managing risks and improving household well-being outcomes in the context of climate risks and multiple shocks. One major result is that climatic shocks do not affect small ruminant and non-ruminant animals because they are more resilient to climate variability than cattle. Subsequently, households rely on diversified livestock portfolios and borrow from social groups to smooth their consumption level and foster resilience. The latter coping strategy is predominantly preferred by female-headed and asset-poor households to protect their already low asset base. Small ruminants, poultry and cattle contribute significantly to household’s income and food consumption across different quintiles. Small ruminants improve income and consumption for households in the bottom of quintiles. The policy implication of these findings is that diversification of livestock portfolios is germane in fostering resilience to climate risks and thus improve the well-being outcomes of livestock farmers.

Résumé

L'étude vient contribuer à la littérature agricole qui commence à apparaître au sujet de la composition du bétail et de sa résilience, et applique deux vagues d’analyse à un ensemble de données de panel de 360 ménages ruraux au Kenya pour étudier le rôle que peut jouer la composition du bétail dans sa propre résilience et dans l'amélioration du bien-être des ménages. L’un des résultats principaux est que les chocs climatiques n'affectent pas les petits ruminants et les animaux non ruminants car ils sont plus résilients que les bovins face aux variations climatiques. Par la suite, les ménages s'appuient sur des élevages diversifiés et empruntent aux groupes d’entraide sociale pour stabiliser leur niveau de consommation et pour favoriser la résilience. Cette stratégie d'adaptation-là est principalement privilégiée par les ménages dirigés par des femmes et ceux possédant peu de richesses pour protéger leur possessions déjà faibles. Les petits ruminants et la volaille contribuent de façon significative à un bien-être accru des ménages, en particulier pour les ménages situés dans les derniers quintiles de revenus. En matière de politique publique, ces résultats signifient que la diversification des élevages est essentielle pour une plus grande résilience face aux risques climatiques et pour un bien-être accru

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany under the project “Enhancing Women’s Assets to Manage Risk under Climate Change: Potential for Group–Based Approach” through the Center for Development Research (ZEF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Machakos University, P.O. BOX 136-90100, Machakos, Kenya

    Marther W. Ngigi

  2. GFA Consulting Group GmbH, Hamburg, Germany

    Ulrike Mueller

  3. Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 43, 138, Stuttgart, Germany

    Regina Birner

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  1. Marther W. Ngigi
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Correspondence to Marther W. Ngigi.

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Ngigi, M.W., Mueller, U. & Birner, R. Livestock Diversification for Improved Resilience and Welfare Outcomes Under Climate Risks in Kenya. Eur J Dev Res 33, 1625–1648 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00308-6

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