Household livelihood diversification and gender: panel evidence from rural Kenya

Sarah Alobo Loison
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Sarah Alobo Loison: UMR MOISA - Marchés, Organisations, Institutions et Stratégies d'Acteurs - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier, Skane University Hospital [Lund]

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Abstract: There are high hopes that livelihood diversification could contribute to goals of poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study uses household panel data collected in 2008 and 2013, combined with a mixed methodology to examine the regional and gender disparities, as well as the determinants of change in livelihood diversification in the agricultural regions of Nyeri and Kakamega in rural Kenya. The study period was characterised by important structural changes in the composition and sources of household cash incomes, with farm incomes declining significantly, pushing female headed households into absolute poverty. Whereas the contribution of nonfarm income to total household cash incomes increased significantly, especially in Kakamega. The econometric results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between changes in household asset wealth and changes in livelihood diversification at the regional level, implying that diversification is mainly an accumulation strategy for wealthier farm households. In addition, changes in livelihood diversification are significantly correlated with the initial level of diversification, household demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education level, and hiring labour. Furthermore, increased access to agricultural input credit and more secure land rights seem to promote specialisation in farming rather than diversification. Whereas poverty has a negative and significant effect on change in livelihood diversification. The results have implications for development policy in rural Kenya – highlighting the need to harness the positive aspects of livelihood diversification for poverty reduction, while reducing the negative effects on poorer households by reducing asset entry barriers into remunerative activities.

Keywords: livelihood diversification; gender; rural kenya; panel data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02618651v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Published in Journal of Rural Studies, 2019, 69, pp.156-172. ⟨10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.03.001⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02618651

DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.03.001

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