Conservation Agriculture Land Productivity on Livelihood Outcomes in ASAL Areas in Kenya

Abstract

Most economies in sub-Saharan Africa and Kenya are agriculturally based, hence the importance to boost agricultural development for poverty reduction. This can be achieved by promoting conservation agriculture which has been shown to increase productivity while conserving the environment at the same time. The study sought to assess conservation agriculture practices and their impact on livelihood outcomes focusing on Makueni and Machakos Counties. Specifically, the study investigated the effect of land productivity on livelihood outcomes of conservation agriculture farmers in Makueni and Machakos Counties. The study employed cross-sectional survey as a research design. The Cochran formula was used with a 5% level of significance to obtain sample size of 384 respondents. The study relied on stratified random sampling to achieve a high degree of representation from groups with the desired characteristics. Sample size for each stratum was determined proportionately by dividing the population in each stratum by the sample size. Qualitative data was be subjected to content analysis while quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings show that land productivity has a positive influence on livelihood outcomes which include availability of food and catering for education and healthcare. The study concluded that Conservation Agriculture enhances land productivity which ultimately increases crop yield and hence, better livelihood outcomes.