Do farmer groups improve the situation of women in agriculture in rural Kenya?

Rose Ingutia and John Sumelius

International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 2021, vol. 25, issue 01

Abstract: Production by smallholders in rural Kenya is limited by institutional, technical and investment constraints. Female farmers are the majority among smallholders and have significant roles in agriculture; nonetheless, they face constraints in accessing resources. Recent primary data of 347 farmers (proportional random sampling) was used to examine: (a) factors affecting women’s participation in agriculture; (b) factors influencing female farmers’ decision to join a farmer group; and (c) the effect of women’s membership in a farmer group on crop yield. We applied Probit and linear regression with endogenous treatment maximum likelihood methods. Results reveal that women’s participation is positively influenced by membership in a farmer group and land ownership. Women’s decision to join a farmer group is positively affected by access to credit, and negatively by limited decision-making power and lack of access to land. Crop yield is positively affected by membership years in a farmer group and ownership of mobile phones, negatively by lack of credit. Farmer groups are a particularly effective platform to improve crop yields and other constraints confronting female farmers. Surprisingly, this platform is under-utilised. Policymakers should invest in human, financial and physical capital of farmer groups as a pathway to rural development, improved rural livelihoods and reduced poverty.

Keywords: Farm Management; International Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ifaamr:316367

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.316367

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