Kevin Okoth Ouko

African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)

Rapid population and economic growth, increased health benefits of aquatic food, and changes in lifestyles and preferences as a result of rapid urbanization and globalization are all contributing to the rapid growth of aquaculture production in Kenya. Despite significant investment efforts from the national and devolved governments as well as donor...

Aquaculture is the world's fastest‐growing food‐producing sector, making it a significant contributor to food and nutrition security for the globally growing human population. Nevertheless, its long‐term growth is limited by the effects of climate change. Aquaculture in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), which is dominated by small‐scale fish farming, is in...

Sustainability serves as a normative principle in the context of food policy but also represents a hotly debated arena. Ongoing crises in contemporary agriculture suggest that the current model of food production may not be sustainable in the long run to guarantee global food security. Advocacy for more comprehensive and sustainable models has incr...

The adverse impacts of climate change on aquatic food systems (AFS) and the people who depend on AFS for livelihood security are inequitably distributed between and within countries. People facing the highest risks and experiencing the severest impacts of climate change are those who already experience multidimensional inequalities in their lives,...

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has been promoted in Kenya as a panacea for climate change impacts on agricultural productivity. Consequently, various climate-smart aquaculture technologies, innovations, and management practices (CSA-TIMPs) have been developed, validated, and adopted through the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP). Neve...

Aquaculture plays an important role in the provision of food, livelihood and source of income in Kenya. There is a rapid shift from extensive methods to semi-intensive and intensive culture methods with the potential to produce higher output. However, intensification in aquaculture comes with risks of diseases. In recent years, there has been an in...

This article aims to generate novel insights by examining gender dynamics within aquaculture and small-scale fisheries, employing a gendered agrifood systems conceptual framework to comprehensively analyze gender equality and women’s empowerment in aquatic food systems. To do this, it evaluates 202 articles using a scoping review methodology. Thoug...

In this study, we aimed to assess gender disparities in access to agricultural extension services and the determinants of access to extension among male and female-headed households in Western Uganda. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to extract primary data from 200 farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyz...

Savings play a significant role in any country’s economic development. Notably, because farmers tend to have seasonal income from their farming activities, they also tend to be highly vulnerable to poor saving habbit than other occupations, such as those in formal jobs. However, farmers who save part of their income for subsequent production can pu...

This study evaluated the effect of replacing fish meal (FM) with black soldier fly (Hermatia illucens) larvae meal (BSFLM) on growth performance and economic efficiency of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production. The BSFLM replaced FM at 0, 25, 50 and 75% (T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively). One thousand two hundred (1,200) all-male Nile til...

Poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition cases have been reported among farmers who prioritize cash crops such as tobacco. This is as a result of inefficient allocation of farm resources to tobacco production, with little or no allocation to staple food crops. To increase food production among such farmers, researchers have recommended optimum all...

The global feed production has increased in the past few years. Despite the growing trend, the current production does not meet the demand in Kenya. The government of Kenya has initiated several efforts towards promoting fodder production to increase milk production and household income. This study analysed the effects of fodder production on house...

Sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) increase crop productivity. This is achieved by increasing soil fertility, preserving moisture in the soil, and reducing pest and disease build-up, among other significant roles. Strikingly, maize farmers are still deeply rooted into the traditional methods of production which do not consider the adoption o...

Lake Victoria is the second‐largest freshwater lake in the world, with a surface area of 68,800 km². The lake is rich in natural resources that are essential to the local economy and livelihoods. However, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ranks 76% of freshwater species endemic to the Lake Victoria Basin as threatened with extin...

Underutilized crops play an important role in sustainable food systems, especially in drought-stricken areas occasioned by climate change. These crops, particularly cassava have become a priority in Siaya County, Kenya. This is because of its adaptive nature in the region and its contribution to sustainable food systems. Therefore, both the governm...

Small-scale fishers (SSFs) are finding it difficult to cope with the limited returns from fishing activities. Diversification of fishing activities becomes necessary in ensuring the sustainable use of fishing resources by exploring entrepreneurial opportunities available in other sectors including the tourism value chain. Little is known on the ext...

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) presents the opportunity to meet the world increasing food demands in the face of climate variability. In Kenya, CSA has been promoted as a means of adapting to climate change among Kenyan farmers under Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) and farmers’ participation is key. This study, therefore, sought to...

It is evident from scientific studies that black soldier fly larvae can replace the widely used fishmeal, which is costly and unsustainable for smallholder farmers, in aquafeeds. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors t influencing fish farmers’ awareness of use of black soldier fly larvae meal as an ingredient in fish feeds. The eff...

In recent years, governments, researchers and policy makers have encouraged the use of net cages for fish production in an effort to increase aquaculture production by utilizing the enormous natural waters on the planet. As a result, fish cage farming has seen a rapid growth in different oceans, lakes, and reservoirs across the globe. The cost...

Improved fish post-harvest technologies (IFPT) have been promoted as more efficient methods of fish processing, preservation, and value addition than the traditional methods prevalent in developing countries. The adoption rates, however, do not appear to be convincing. The purpose of this study was to determine the socio-demographic and psychologic...

The food price crisis of 2007–2008 and the recent resurgence of food prices have focused increasing attention on the causes and consequences of food price volatility in international food markets and the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Agricultural Price Index was 34% higher as of 30 June 2022, compared to January 2021....

Indigenous knowledge is critical in the conservation of wild fish genetic resources and consequent development of fish seed for improved aquaculture production. Local fisher communities rely on aquatic resources mainly for livelihood and subsistence and have therefore come up with systems to manage these resources for sustainable use. This study ai...

Background: Agriculture in least developing countries is considered as an engine of economic growth, food security and nutrition and poverty reduction in rural areas. As one of Malian’s economy crops, cotton cropping plays an important role in generating national income and creating rural employment for the thousands of smallholder farmers. Cotton...

Global climate change and decreases in available land are significant challenges humans currently face. Alternative management approaches for sugarcane fields have great potential to help mitigate these problems in Kenya. Intercropping as a crop diversification strategy is a crucial coping mechanism for agriculture's income, production, and marketi...

Fish cage culture has rapidly grown throughout Lake Victoria's shores, with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) being the primarily cultured species. However, there is inadequate information on its economic viability. The study investigated the economic feasibility of fish cage farming system in Lake Victoria, Kenya, by evaluating the relationship...

The low agricultural productivity reported in both cash and food crops across Uganda is attributed to inadequate skills on modern agriculture. Consequently, many studies have recommended that farmers should be trained on modern agriculture through extension service provision. Strikingly, majority of the farmers do not have access to extension servi...

The purpose of this study was to identify the underlying socio-psychological factors that influence pond and cage farmers’ intentions to adopt Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) in Kenya. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study empirically investigated the relationship between TAM constructs, namely Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Per...

The use of novel feed ingredients from aquaculture is growing globally. However, their contributions to scalable and sustainable aquafeed solutions are unclear. New ingredients for feeds are desired in the framework of sustainability and a circular economy; thus, initiatives for implementing such novel ingredients are of interest to agricultural pr...

Vicious cycles of poverty and unemployment among rural youth in Kenya have necessitated the search for an alternative sustainable solution. Whereas the youth population continues to surge, the majority of them are reluctant to venture into agricultural enterprises. This study reviewed the prospect of youth’s venture in agripreneurship for poverty r...

Agriculture has the potential to improve dietary diversity through farm enterprise diversity if farming households consume what they produce. This paper evaluated the drivers of farm enterprise diversity among small-scale farmers in Makueni and Nyando Sub-Counties, Kenya. Data from 320 small-scale farmers' households was collected using semi-struct...

In the recent past, cricket production has attracted a myriad of interests in the Global Food Sector. However, low production, limited input resources and rearing systems constrain the utilization of crickets. Scanty information exists on sundry input resources for upscaling of cricket production and how such inputs can be efficiently managed. This...

This paper evaluated expert opinions on farmers' perception about climate change, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and their effects on Irish potato production in Kenya. The study focused on different coping strategies preferred by experts and currently used by farmers. Delphi approach was used to elicit information from 22 experts from di...

Research on and disseminating Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices has led to increased awareness and farmers’ capacity to develop resilient agricultural production systems for sustainable livelihoods and food security while addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. Thus, there is a potential in gaining valuable insight into how Ir...

Climate change is an environmental threat to all sectors, especially the agricultural sector around the globe. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is one of the essential strategies to overcome low productivity, adaptation and mitigation problems in the face of global climate change challenges in developing countries including Kenya. Despite considerab...

Food and nutritional (in)security remain an important matter of concern, especially in developing countries. Despite the efforts to enhance food security among smallholder soybean households, the proportion of the undernourished population in Butere Sub-County still remains high for unknown reasons. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examin...

This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the resultant effects of the new Coronavirus which is known to cause a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in humans (SARS-CoV-2 better known as COVID-19) on food security and household livelihoods in Kenya. This is achieved by providing a comprehensive literature review on past global epidemics,...

The Ethiopian Central Rift Valley floor faces various challenges related to reducing food insecurity, degraded ecosystems and climate change. Farming in the lower valley region is largely done under rainfed conditions, and the area's overreliance on agriculture and its very low levels of irrigation make it singularly vulnerable to the vagaries of i...