Exploring the Future of Agriculture Under Climate Change: The Potentials of Climate-Smart Agriculture Among Smallholder Farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Climate variability, characterized by low precipitation, flooding, high temperatures, prolonged sunshine, and delayed rainfall, has threatened agricultural productivity, leading to food insecurity and chronic poverty, especially among resource-constrained farmers. Several climate-smart agriculture (CSA) strategies have been developed to address these challenges. Based on the CSA practices diffused among Kenyan farmers, this study tested a hypothesis that adopting CSA is a significant strategy for climate change adaptation. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from a random sample of 120 smallholder potato farmers in Gilgil Sub-County of Kenya. Data was collected using a structured researcher-administered questionnaire, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 28 was used for data analysis. The percentages and frequencies for the CSA adoption rates and potentials of different CSAPs were computed using descriptive analysis. A binary regression analysis revealed that CSA is a significant climate change adaptation strategy (Wald χ2 = 49.417, df = 1, p < 0.001). Further, implementing CSA increased the farmers’ chances to adapt to climate change by 19 times more than non-adopters. Explicitly, this study revealed that CSA significantly contributed to farmers’ adaptation potentials through reducing soil erosion, increasing livelihood diversification, reducing input expenses, and increasing product quality. To exploit the benefits of CSA, this study recommends using experiential learning approaches, establishing linkages between research institutions, and capitalizing on progressive farmers to hasten the acceptance of CSA.