Version 1
: Received: 18 January 2024 / Approved: 18 January 2024 / Online: 18 January 2024 (11:38:57 CET)
How to cite:
Ingutia, R.; Sumelius, J. Family Planning, Small-Scale Irrigation, and Agricultural Cooperatives Revisited in Achieving Increasing Demand for Food Sustainably in Rural Kenya. Preprints2024, 2024011408. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1408.v1
Ingutia, R.; Sumelius, J. Family Planning, Small-Scale Irrigation, and Agricultural Cooperatives Revisited in Achieving Increasing Demand for Food Sustainably in Rural Kenya. Preprints 2024, 2024011408. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1408.v1
Ingutia, R.; Sumelius, J. Family Planning, Small-Scale Irrigation, and Agricultural Cooperatives Revisited in Achieving Increasing Demand for Food Sustainably in Rural Kenya. Preprints2024, 2024011408. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1408.v1
APA Style
Ingutia, R., & Sumelius, J. (2024). Family Planning, Small-Scale Irrigation, and Agricultural Cooperatives Revisited in Achieving Increasing Demand for Food Sustainably in Rural Kenya. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1408.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Ingutia, R. and John Sumelius. 2024 "Family Planning, Small-Scale Irrigation, and Agricultural Cooperatives Revisited in Achieving Increasing Demand for Food Sustainably in Rural Kenya" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1408.v1
Abstract
Rapid population growth causes smallholders to practice unsustainable forms of land intensification to meet increasing food demand. Food insecurity is exacerbated by unreliable rainfall. We revisit family planning, smallholder irrigation, and agricultural cooperatives as potential sustainable solutions. We use descriptive statistics based on primary data from Kakamega Central and Navakholo in Kenya. Results from respondents indicate 83% had no family planning information, while 82% had no access to irrigation. The major reasons are poverty, illiteracy, misconceptions, gender inequality, constraints in accessing credit, lack of investment in water resources, and family planning. Lack of access to agricultural extension services limits the adoption of sustainable farming practices. Cooperatives’ principles and values make them suitable pathways to reach the poorest and facilitate members’ access to productive resources. Cooperatives can be used to train members in sustainable agricultural practices and educate members on family planning issues. Cooperatives have contributed to better yields, incomes, nutritional status, and reduced poverty. However are constrained by a lack of capital, credit, infrastructure, markets, training and technology, delayed payment, and low prices. Governments and development agencies should support the establishment and development of cooperatives with capacity building, market infrastructure, finance, and education in cooperative principles and values.
Keywords
Family planning; rainwater harvesting and supplementary irrigation; agricultural cooperatives; smallholders, rural Kenya.
Subject
Business, Economics and Management, Economics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
