ABSTRACT

Rainfall variability is becoming more profound in East Africa. Smallholders relying on rainfed agriculture are particularly affected and need to adapt their farming systems accordingly. This study examined the measures small-scale farmers use to adapt to, or cope with rainfall variability and their rated perceived effectiveness. It also explored limitations to adoption of measures and sources of learning measures. Questionnaire-based interviews were held with 80 smallholder farmers, both female and male, living in Kisumu and Trans Nzoia counties in Kenya who had regular or sporadic access to advisory services (denoted trained and non-trained farmers). Trained farmers used more adaptation measures, especially of the measures perceived to be more effective, than non-trained farmers. Female farmers felt more limited by lack of knowledge than male farmers, while money, land and labour limited the smallholder farmers equally. Few measures were used to overcome limitations, but several limitations were covered within the advisory package used for trained farmers, and therefore large differences were seen not only in numbers of measures used, but also in the choice of measures and perceived effectiveness of use. Thus advisory services and policy interventions can play important roles in future efforts to improve adoption of measures.

摘要

东非的降雨变化越来越严重。依靠雨养农业的小农户尤其受到影响，需要相应地调整其耕作制度。这项研究检查了小规模农民用来适应或应对降雨多变性及其额定感知效果的措施。它还探讨了采用措施和学习措施来源的局限性。对居住在肯尼亚的基苏木和跨恩佐亚县的80名男女小农进行了问卷调查，这些农户定期或零星地获得咨询服务（分别是经过培训的农民和未经培训的农民）。受过训练的农民比未受过训练的农民使用了更多的适应措施，尤其是被认为更有效的措施。与男性农民相比，女性农民由于缺乏知识而受到更多的限制，而金钱，土地和劳动力同样限制了小农户。很少采取措施来克服局限性，但针对受过培训的农民的一揽子咨询服务却涵盖了一些局限性，因此，不仅在使用的措施数量上，而且在选择措施和使用效果方面都存在巨大差异。因此，咨询服务和政策干预措施可以在将来为改进措施的采用而做出的努力中发挥重要作用。而且还包括措施的选择和使用的感知效果。因此，咨询服务和政策干预措施可以在将来为改进措施的采用而做出的努力中发挥重要作用。而且还包括措施的选择和使用的感知效果。因此，咨询服务和政策干预措施可以在将来为改进措施的采用而做出的努力中发挥重要作用。