Food accessibility and livelihood choices of rural households: “A Case Study of Solai Location, Solai Division, Rongai Sub-county, Nakuru County- Kenyaâ€
Student name: Mr Manase Besensio P Kollang
Guide: Dr Chubamenla Jamir
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: Anglican Development Services (ADS)- Central Rift, Nakuru- Kenya
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Justus K Kinyua
Abstract: Food security has remained a global agenda in the recent decades. In Sub-Saharan
Africa (SSA), many of the households have experienced acute food insecurity
situations and malnutrition incidences (Mohajan, 2014). One of the main causes of
recurrent food insecurity situation in SSA is associated with the rapid climate
change variability which, confined to droughts and floods (Mohajan, 2014). In
Kenya, the majority of the rural household depends greatly on agricultural
production to access food and secure means of living (Mohajan, 2014).
Agricultural production plays a significant role in increasing economic growth that
helps alleviate poverty. Mohajan (2014) argued that, in Kenya, the contribution of
farming industry account for 65 percent of the total exports. It creates more than 18
percent of the formal employment to the citizen (Mohajan, 2014). Moreover, it was
estimated that more than 40 million Kenyans in which 80 percent of them depend
chiefly on farming activities and reside mostly in rural areas (Mohajan, 2014).
The rural households apply various means and strategies to access food. They either
produce their own food or engage in performing relevant economic activities to earn
income. All these activities is determined by households’ purchasing power and
capabilities (set of skills to perform specific tasks) as depicted by Sen, 1987).
The purpose of this study is to investigate the trends and drivers that determine
households’ food access and various means of livelihoods. This paper has three
major objectives: (a) to examine the food access pattern of the rural households; (b)
to identify factors affecting livelihood strategies and choices of the rural
households(c) to map and establish the inter-linkages between food access and
livelihood strategies of the rural households. Therefore, the overall goal of this paper
is to identify and understand food access pattern and livelihood choices and
strategies of rural households in the study area. The findings of this study suggest
that, households diversified their income sources to access food through on-farm
agricultural production, off-farm and non-farm activities. Individual capabilities
provide unique milestone to livelihood choices.
Keywords: Food Security &Access, Livelihood Choices, Strategies & Capabilities.
