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Distribution of employment in Kenya from 2011 to 2020, by economic sector Source: World Bank @ Statista, 2021.
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The study aimed to assess the challenges hindering Kenyan youth from participation in the agricultural sector. In this study, qualitative analysis was used as a basic research tool. Youth unemployment in Kenya is higher than the overall national unemployment rate. Kenya's economy is not creating enough jobs to increase the number of young people en...
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The risk of malnutrition, particularly micronutrient deficiency, is high in large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa for smallholder farmers. Access to diverse and nutritious food is a key component of food security, and a major development objective. It is widely accepted that good access to markets can play a key role in improving nutrition at the foods...
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... Farmers can improve productivity, enhance animal welfare, and explore new market opportunities by staying informed about the latest developments in the dairy industry. The Government of Kenya targets youth empowerment and development through bottom-up economic transformation (BETA) policies and structural reforms that promote investment in agricultural transformation and focus on end-to-end investment in the dairy value chain with a higher impact at the bottom of the economy (Njora & Yilmaz, 2022). ...
Dairy production plays a critical socioeconomic role for most developing countries' populations. The study aimed at assessing dairy breed preferences and breeding practices among smallholder farmers in Githunguri Sub-County, Kenya. The study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey using pretested questionnaires administered to randomly selected 457 smallholder dairy farmers from the eight milk collection routes in the sub-county. Most farmers keep the Friesian breed (93%) and use artificial insemination (A.I.) to serve animals (95.7%). High milk yield was the leading parameter of breed preference. Animal breeding practices significantly differed along the milk collection routes mainly due to variations in age and level of education. Poor animal health was ranked the most critical challenge, followed by inadequate and poor-quality feeds. A large number (69.6%) of farmers do not estimate the live weight of animals. The majority of farmers (44.8%) obtained their replacement breeding stock either from their herd or bought from other farms. Notably, the milk collection route where youths (≤ 35 years of age) actively participated in dairy farming reported the highest number of lactating cows and milk production levels. Tertiary education level (46.1%) and membership in farmer organizations (70.4) had the greatest impact on the proportion of milk produced. Equally, controlled breeding programs guarantee quality breeds and replacement stock for farmers, but poor feeding strategies and animal health challenges hinder genetic progress. These findings demonstrate the need to consider appropriate feeding strategies and animal health management as a prerequisite to improvement in breeding programs. Conversely, there is a need to engage more youth in dairy production and provide technical backstopping to farmers on good agricultural practices for enhanced dairy productivity.
The concept of academic citizenship describes academics’ participation in different activities of a university to facilitate the achievement of its established goals which extend beyond the institution to the scientific community and the larger society. It seeks to address the multifaceted challenges of contemporary societies comprising poverty, corruption, educational disparity, underutilisation of resources, and healthcare inequalities as evident in many African countries. In light of the preceding statement, this chapter seeks to explore the concept and its catalytic effect on the socioeconomic development of the African continent. It will also investigate the multidimensional ways in which universities and their members can contribute to socioeconomic development, stressing the mechanisms by which this relationship between academia and broader societal development is fostered. The methodology utilised consists of a desktop review of the extant literature, employing solely secondary sources for data extraction. The chapter argues that engagement in academic citizenship goes beyond the conventional pedagogic and research responsibilities and drives the growth of societies because of its focus on moral actions and the dissemination of knowledge. It also argues that interventionist measures that emphasise integrity are imperative to mitigating social vices. The chapter concludes with a clarion call for academics to collaborate across disciplines and countries and for academic citizenship to be embraced on a global scale.
Urban and rural areas are inter-connected through physical, economic, environmental and social linkages, and their boundaries are blurred. The interaction between the two areas is dependent on sustainable mobility that is anchored on resilient infrastructure. However, this interconnection is affected by barriers of mobility that limit effective interaction between the two areas leading to among others under-development especially in rural areas, food loss, high cost of production, decreased investments, and isolation of some areas. In particular, milk production is dependent on efficient mobility because milk is perishable. Infrastructure that is not well integrated to ensure mobility and accessibility may not reliably improve livelihoods in rural areas. The research investigated mobility patterns between urban and rural areas and its implications on urban-rural linkages with a focus on the milk value chain. It covered issues of the patterns, motives, benefits, barriers and challenges faced during mobility. The research area was a transect between Ruiru town to Uplands village centre. It made use of qualitative techniques to assess both the usability and operational aspects of mobility by interviewing various actors and stakeholders along the dairy value chain.The research shows patterns of mobility directed towards the locations where goods and services are sourced mostly in the urban centres and the flow of goods and services from the urban centres to the rural areas. This flow of goods between urban and rural areas creates a convergence and divergence in urban centres, making them focal points for human activities in rural areas and enhancing rural-urban linkages. The connecting road networks in turn act as the arteries or conduits that form connections and facilitate the flow of goods and services. The study also reveals the existence of a symbiotic relationship between urban and rural areas, whereby rural areas provide the raw material – milk, while the urban areas provide goods and services and undertake the processing of the raw materials. These rural-urban interactions that are anchored on mobility leads to a robust dairy value chain and a milk industry cluster particularly in Githunguri town which emerges as a ‘milk town’. The findings show that the milk value chain exhibits itself in the rural-urban space leading to the shaping of the territory from the village, market to urban centres.
