THE INFLUENCE OF ADOPTION OF FARM-BASED FOOD RESILIENCE STRATEGIES ON LIVELIHOOD OUTCOMES AMONG FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Kenya faces persistent adverse livelihood outcomes, including food insecurity, which is aggravated by climate
variability, erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts and economic constraints. Limited empirical evidence exists on
the influence of the adopted Farm Based Food Resilience Strategies (FBFRS) in improving household livelihoods in Makueni County, Kenya, thus making it difficult to design targeted interventions that can enhance
sustainable livelihoods. The study sought to establish the influence of the adoption of FBFRS on livelihood
outcomes among farming households in Makueni County, Kenya. FBFRS included strategies related to crop,
soil, water, and livestock management, while livelihood outcomes were assessed through food security, income stability, and related dimension. A sample size of 399 rural households was drawn from three subcounties (Mbooni, Makueni and Kibwezi West) through multistage sampling, comprising stratified, purposive
and simple random sampling techniques. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design to meet the
research objective. Data was analyzed using descriptive and regression analysis. The regression results revealed that FBFRS had a positive and statistically significant influence on livelihood outcomes among farming
households in Makueni County, Kenya, at a 5% significance (β = 0.559, p < 0.001), explaining 42.3% of the
variation in livelihood outcomes (R² = 0.423). This implies that increased adoption of farm-based strategies
enhances household livelihood outcomes. It was concluded that adoption of FBFRS significantly improves
household livelihood outcomes in Makueni County. However, challenges such as unpredictable weather, pests
and diseases, high input costs, limited water access, inadequate funds and low technical knowledge undermine
these gains. The study recommends strengthening farmer training and extension services, promoting climatesmart technologies, subsidizing agricultural inputs, improving water access, and enhancing market linkages to
maximize the benefits of FBFRS and promote sustainable rural livelihoods in Makueni County.