Gender roles and environmental risk factors associated with fall armyworm mitigation practices on maize in Bomet County, Kenya

Abstract

Advent and meteoric rise from the fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E Smith) as an invasive pest within Africa possesses grave implications to smallholder agriculturalists with reference to decrease on maize yield loss. The estimated loss ranges between 4.1 million to 17.7 million tons annually, notably equal to US$ 12.8 billion annually. In Kenya, the first FAW invasion detection reported in Bomet County in 2016 prompting the indiscriminate use of synthetic insecticides that could undermine the environmental and food security. Based on gender disparities through food supply network can obstruct the accomplishment of nutrition security with environmental sustainability. Subsequent infestation from FAW within nation, scanty research about gender roles in mitigation of FAW including how their adaptation and coping strategies may affect the environment. Three hundred and eighty four smallholder farmers from Bomet County were purposively enumerated using structured questionnaires, checklists for farmer groups and key informants. The gender roles in mitigation of FAW identified, their impact on the environment evaluated and food production before and after FAW invasion analysed. The analysis of data used descriptive statistics and chi-square. Results showed smallholder farmers‘ use different mitigation strategies, which are a combination of both coping, and adaptation strategies guided by their different socio-economic factors within different headed households during FAW infestation. The result further showed FAW invasion contributes largely to households‘ food decline whereas, FAW management practices that were likely to lead to environmental contamination were related to chemical use with either male or female farmers being concerned with control throughout FAW invasion. This outcome of goodness-of-fit test analysis signify that there were a statistically significant correlation amongst decline of crop yields due to FAW invasion and gender, (2 =43.115, DF=3, p =.000). There is need for research and policy makers to create awareness for farmers on better FAW mitigation strategies mainly on the use of chemicals that are more biodegradable and less polluting to the environment. Increasing awareness creation on FAW practices that are less likely to enhance occupational exposures to pesticides and to family members. Farmers‘ should be encouraged to change their food preferences to alternative food crops insusceptible by fall armyworm.