Understanding poverty dynamics in Kenya

Abstract

Combining qualitative-quantitative approaches, we examined the reasons behind household movements into and out of poverty across Kenya, and how they differ by livelihood zones. Among the 4,773 households studied, 42% were poor 15 years ago and 50% are poor at the present time. Over the same period, 12% of the households escaped poverty, while another 20% fell into poverty. While some national trends were evident-such as the role of health problems in driving people into poverty and the importance of off-farm income in getting them out-many reasons differ across livelihood zones, thus this paper paper provides an example of how regionally differentiated anti-poverty policies can be investigated and designed.

Is rainfed agriculture really a pathway from poverty?

“…Similarly, at the micro-level there is evidence that crop production is a pathway from poverty. In Kenya, for example, a national survey revealed that of the sampled households that moved out of poverty between 1990 and 2005, half attributed their success to investment in agriculture (Kristjanson et al 2010). Similarly, 70 % of households that moved out of poverty in Uganda between 1980 and 2004 stated that the main driver of ascent was agriculture (Krishna et al 2006).…”

“…Of the reasons given for graduation from poverty in Kenya, only 23 % of households cited increased land under cultivation, compared to 49 % who cited crop diversification or commercialization. In the zone with low potential for crop production, one-half of the households moving out of poverty attributed this to crop diversification away from maize to higher-value crops (Kristjanson et al 2010). Not all forms of commercialization are necessarily pathways from poverty.…”

“…Finally, the evidence confirms the importance of non-farm income. In Kenya, 80% of households that moved out of poverty also attributed graduation to business and non-farm employment (Kristjanson et al 2010). This exemplifies the classic cycle in which non-farm income is invested in agriculture while agriculture generates income for non-farm investment (Ellis and Freeman, 2004).…”

Are food insecure smallholder households making changes in their farming practices? Evidence from East Africa

“…This means prioritizing investments in programs targeted at poor or vulnerable households, such as transfers of cash, vouchers, food, or other goods, as suggested by poverty dynamics research in the region (Barrett et al 2006;Kristjanson et al 2010).…”

“…fertility and crop yields, poor market access, constrained access to land, and high inflation (Nelson et al 2010;Yamano et al 2011;Jayne et al 2006). Both poverty levels and household food insecurity are rising across East Africa (Charles et al 2010;Kristjanson et al 2010; Thornton et al 2011).…”