Reasons for Adoption and Spread of Conservation Agriculture among Small Scale Farmers Laikipia and Meru Districts, Kenya

Abstract

Until 1963 Kenya was under colonial rule and the highlands around the Mt. Kenya were occupied by white settlers. Large scale ranches and farms dominated the landscape and the native population was forced to move to the ‘Native Reserves’, withdrawn by the colonialists. After Kenya became independent in 1963 some of the white settlers abandoned their farms and the former ‘White Highlands’ became a new settlement zone for small scale farmers.

The Kenyan Government and private land buying companies purchased the land from the leaving settlers and subdivided it into small plots, which were sold to small scale farmers. Private land buying companies wanted to maximize their profit, thus they subdivided the purchased land into too small plots and did not consider the ecological capacities needed by the new owners. This political change thus led to a fundamental land use change in the area around the Mt. Kenya: The before sparsely settled area experienced a fast population growth and hence land use intensity increased too. Increasing population and intensity of land use led to a sever pressure on natural resources. The new settler derived from areas more suitable for agriculture and did not adapt their land use technologies to the new circumstances. Land use techniques, adapted to the natural environment could help to increase the sustainable resource use in the area.

The study areas are located in the upper part of a Highland-Lowland system thus depletion of resources has sever impacts on the lower parts of the system. Conservation Agriculture technologies were introduced about 20 years ago in Kalalu and Mantanya, two of the three study areas to enhance sustainability of the agricultural production. At the same time, the technology allows small scale farmers, in an area with unreliable rains, to produce higher yields and thus enhance food security. The third study area is located outside the Laikipia District, thus Conservation Agriculture was not introduced there during the Laikipia Research Program.