Smallholders’ socio-economic characteristics and the Biomass cooking energy utilisation-food production greenhouse gas emissions nexus: case study of Western Kenya

Abstract

With increased population pressure and threats presented by climate change, queries are being raised on the smallholders’ capability to achieve food security, engage in fuel energy production and contribute in greenhouse gas mitigation through tree planting. The general objective of this study is to elicit the nexus between biomass cooking energy demand and utilisation, food production and greenhouse gas emissions, with the latter being associated with climate change. Specific objectives for the study are enumerated through each of the academic papers presented from chapter three to six. The papers share a general methodology in data collection with apprpropriate analytical method adopted to respond to each of the specific objective. The thesis is organized into seven chapters with Chapter One addressing the introduction where the background, statement of the problem, general and specific objectives, and the research questions are enumerated. Chapters Two presents a detailed literature review on the study topics including an overview on households’ energy demands and choice determinants, energy demands by cottage industries, households’ greenhouses emission studies and staple food self-sufficiency among smallholders. A theoretical and a conceptual framework for the study are also presented. Chapter Three presents the study general methodology including description of study area, data sources, sampling designs research and tools adpted and data management. Also presented are the results of the socio-economic characterisation of the smallholders, description of the agricultural food production, and cooking energy production and consumption. Chapter Four details both descriptive and analytical results of determinants of cooking energy choice. In Chapter Five, a paper on the effects of biomass use and demand and agricultural food production among smallholders is presented where synergies and trade-off between cooking energy and food production in resources allocation including labour, capital and land are evaluated. Chapter Six presents a paper on the methodology of estimating smallholders’ greenhouse gas emissions, upon which levels and determinants of emissions among smallholders is evaluated. Chapter seven provides a paper assessing the relationship between cooking energy, food production and greenhouse gas upon which conclusions and recommendation are provided. This study has shown smallholding farming system as not only involved in subsistence food production and income generation, but as a complex ecological management systems addressing households’ needs including food, income, cooking energy and recreation provisions, and ecological functions including of carbon dioxide sequestration, conservations nutrient cycling systems, improving water systems and soil resource.