Nutrient-Dense Crops for Rural and Peri-Urban Smallholders in Kenya—A Regional Social Accounting Approach

Abstract

Kenya ranks among the countries with the highest micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Due to their high micronutrient content, African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) can be a solution to this problem, and urban areas in Kenya have seen a rise in demand for these crops in the previous decade. To fill the gap between supply and demand, programmes to promote AIV production have been implemented in rural and peri-urban areas. However, the effects of increased AIV production on income and food security in the regional economies are not clear. Thus, in this analysis, we first evaluate differences between the livelihoods of household groups with different levels of food security in rural and peri-urban Kenya using a two-step cluster analysis. Then, we generate a regional social accounting matrix (SAM) and calculate the direct and indirect income effects of AIVs and other crops grown in the area using a multiplier analysis. For the analysis, a total of 706 small-scale vegetable producers in four counties in Kenya were interviewed in 2015. Households in rural areas were more food insecure, especially with respect to the utilization and stability dimension of food security. Multiplier analysis showed increased indirect income effects of AIVs in the regional economy compared to those of many cash crops. We suggest further promoting the production of AIVs in rural and peri-urban Kenya.

Utilization Pattern of Indigenous and Naturalized Plants among Some Selected Rural Households of North West Province, South Africa

“…In South Africa, indigenous plants especially leafy vegetables have the potential to mitigate malnutrition due to their high nutritional content [43]. Several studies have established the important role and contribution of indigenous and naturalized plants to the economy and to livelihoods of households in rural areas [5,[44][45][46][47].…”

The Role of Indigenous Vegetables to Improve Food and Nutrition Security: Experiences From the Project HORTINLEA in Kenya (2014–2018)

“…While this direct income effect is already interesting for farmers and their production decisions, policymakers should also have a strong incentive to increase AIV production. Even under current production conditions, AIVs and other horticultural food crops have more substantial positive effects on rural economies than tea, coffee or maize (Krause et al, 2019a). Moreover, the growth and diversity of urban food markets allow farmers to expand their range of products, enter new consumer segments and thus increase their income.…”

Electrohydrodynamic drying: Can we scale‐up the technology to make dried fruits and vegetables more nutritious and appealing?

“…This drying method has inherent limitations, including a high reduction of nutrients because of prolonged drying time, and high product loss due to inadequate drying environment, insects, birds and rodent attacks, and variations in solar load (Ekechukwu, 1999). Urban and semi‐urban smallholders depend on solar dryers and convective fan‐driven technology to dry food (Chen, 2019; Krause et al., 2019; Singh & Gaur, 2020). However, these drying methods are time‐consuming and often result in dried products of low nutritional and sensory quality.…”