Resource Use Efficiency as a Climate Smart Approach: Case of Smallholder Farmers in Nyando, Kenya

Abstract

To simultaneously enhance agricultural productivity and lower negative impacts on the environment, food systems need to be transformed to become more efficient in using resources such as land, water, and inputs. This study has examined the resource use efficiency of maize production for smallholder farmers in Nyando, Kenya. The main objectives of this study were to quantify the subplot level technical efficiency of the farmers while at the same time assessing the impact of technologies, soil conservation practices and socio-economic characteristics on their technical efficiency. The study used Stochastic Frontier Analysis to simultaneously estimate a stochastic production frontier and technical inefficiency effects models. The data used for this study were mainly sourced from Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) IMPACTlite data collected in 2012. Data with panel structure on 324 subplots from 170 households were available for this analysis. The study revealed that maize production in Nyando is associated with mean technical efficiency of 45% implying a scope of 55% for increasing production from the same areas of land. Adoption of soil conservation practices such as residue management and legume intercropping significantly increased technical efficiency. Use of plough and access to radio also significantly increased technical efficiency. In this area, agricultural policies aimed at tackling food security and climate change challenges should focus on propagating the adoption of soil conservation practices such as residue management and intercropping and productivity enhancing technologies such as improved seed varieties.