Greener
Journal of  Agricultural Sciences
Vol. 2 (8), pp.362-369,
December
2012

 ISSN: 2276-7770 

Research
Paper

Manuscript Number:102512148

 

Household Food Security in Commercialized Subsistence
Economies: Factors Influencing Dietary Diversity of
Smallholder Tea Farmers in Nandi South, Kenya

 

Langat, B.K., T.K. Sulo, P.M. Nyangweso, V.K. Ngéno, M.K.
Korir, M.J. Kipsat

 

 

Department of Agricultural Economics and Resource
Management, Moi University, 

P.O Box, 1125, Eldoret,
Kenya.

Corresponding Author’s Email: langatben2002 @
yahoo.com

Abstract:

Policies fronting commercialization of agriculture in Kenya
assumed that realization of increased household incomes,
through cultivation of cash crops, would guarantee improved
food security and subsequent reduction of poverty.
Population pressure has led to competition for limited land
resource, coupled with unfavorable poverty indicators; they
have impacted negatively on food access in the district.
Factors influencing households’ food security among
smallholder tea farmers in Nandi South was investigated
using a modified Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS).
Multi-stage proportional-to-size cluster sampling was used
to sample 180 households. Results showed that income,
savings, food storage, land productivity, off-farm income,
ratio of land allocated to tea significantly influence
household dietary diversity. Policies that aim at improving
household food security among smallholder cash crop farmers
should target at increasing and diversifying household
income sources and farm enterprises, provision of saving
opportunities, storage facilities and proper allocation of
land resource between cash crops and food crops.
 
Key words: Household Food Security, Subsistence Economy, Tea farmer, Kenya

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