This is a presentation for CCAFS East Africa by Maren Radeny at the Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation in Africa 2016 "Fostering African Resilience and Capacity to Adapt" in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 21st-23rd February 2016

1. Managing climate risks through
resilient crop interventions and
climate-smart villages approach
Maren Radeny
CCAFS East Africa
Addis Ababa, February 23
Nyando, Western Kenya

2. • Climate variability and change presents new
challenges to smallholder farmers in East Africa
• Climate related risks are becoming more
frequent, with greater intensity
• High poverty levels and limited alternative
livelihood options increase their vulnerability to
climate change
• Changes in agricultural technologies and
approaches are urgently required
• Farmers already making marginal changes in
agricultural practices to adapt to climate change
and other factors
Introduction

3. • Examine changes households are making in
crop farming practices to address climate risks,
adapt to climate change, and improve food
security and incomes
Objective

4. • Sites where researchers,
local partners, and
farmers are working
together to evaluate a
portfolio of climate-smart
agricultural interventions
• To increase productivity
and incomes, build
resilience and adaptive
capacity, enhance food
security
Climate-smart villages approach

5. • High poverty incidence
(46%) and high population
density (>400 per Km2)
• More than 40% of
landscape degraded
• Annual rainfall 900-1200mm
• Food insecurity, 81% of
families experience 1-2
hunger months a yr
• Another 17% experience 3-
4 hunger months a yr
Study site - Nyando

6. Nyando rainfall patterns
• Greater variability in expected onset of
seasonal rainfall
• Long dry spell observed at early onset, and
extreme flooding during late onset
• Shift in rainfall patterns, onset drifted from mid-
February to mid-March
• Frequent dry spells, reducing length of main
growing season

7. Long rains start early March till end June
Short rains start early October till mid-December
Nyando rainfall patterns

8. Methods
• Household surveys from 2011-2015 (5yrs)
• Baseline survey of 140 households in 2011
• Subsequent monitoring from 2012, including non-
baseline households
• Data included agricultural enterprises, changes in
crop types and varieties, crop management, use
of inputs and land management
• New crop varieties identified by farmers and crop
trials facilitated through farmer experimentation
networks
• New crops introduced from similar agro-ecologies

9. • Significant increase in
proportion of households
cultivating at least 3 or
more new crops from
2011-14
• Pigeon peas, cowpeas,
green grams, sorghum,
finger millet, cassava
• By 2015, most
households had already
adopted at least 3 new
crops – partly explains
the drop
Results: Uptake of new crops
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Proportion
Year

10. • Improved crop varieties - early maturing, with
faster growth rates, resistant to certain pests and
diseases
• E.g. improved sorghum varieties - Serena,
Seredo, KARI Mtama1, KARI Mtama4
• Significant increase between 2011-2014
Results: Improved crop varieties
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Proportion
Year

11. • Marginal increase in proportion of households
intercropping (mixed or relay intercropping)
• Provision of agro-advisory services resulted in
increased intercropping
Results: Intercropping
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Proportion
Year

12. • In 2011 very few households
(3%) used fertilizer
• By 2015, the proportion of
households using fertilizer
significantly increased (38%)
• Households also use of
compost and farm yard
manure to compliment the
inorganic fertilizers
• Through capacity building,
farmers are recognizing the
importance of soil testing
Results: Use of fertilizer

13. • Terraces increasingly used to control runoff and
reduce soil erosion
Results: Soil and water management
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Proportion
Year

14. Conclusions
• Households in Nyando are diversifying their crop
choices, cultivating more than 3 new crops and
greatly expanding on-farm choices
• Some of the crops have multiple uses, for food
and livestock feed e.g. sweet potatoes
• Urgent need to strengthen rural institutions that
accelerate and expand uptake of CSA
technologies and practices
• Investments in climate information for farmers
and strengthening extension services (public
and private) important for increased uptake of
CSA

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