Income and nutritional effects of the commercialization of agriculture in southwestern Kenya
Kennedy, E.T.; Cogill, B.
Research Report, International Food Policy Research Institute, USA 63: 60p.
1987
Document Number: 381304
This research evaluates the effects of a shift from maize to sugarcane on agricultural production, income, expenditures, consumption, and health and nutritional state. A random sample of smallholder farmers in various stages of sugarcane production was selected from those under contract to a sugar factory in South Nyanza, Kenya. Nonsugar farmers (those not growing sugar under contract) with similar characteristics were randomly chosen from a mapping of next-nearest neighbours to ensure geographical similarity. A random sample of merchants and the landless was included in order to assess the total effects of cash cropping on the community. Incomes of the farmers participating in the sugarcane outgrowers' scheme are significantly higher than those of nonsugar farmers. Most of the difference in income comes from marketed agricultural surplus, 36% of the income in sugar-producing households compared to 20% of non-sugar farmers. 15% of the sugar farmers' income is from participation in the outgrowers' programme. The positive effect of the sugarcane scheme on income is apparent. However, the data suggest that one of the major ways of improving nutritional state is improvement of health and the sanitation environment.