Effect of Farmer’s Participation and Perception of NGO Interventions on Household Food Security in Kenya

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of farmers’ participation and perceptions of NGO interventions on household food security in Yatta Sub County in Machakos County, Kenya. Recurrent household food insecurity in Kenya affects approximately ten million people annually, especially those living in arid and semi-arid areas like Yatta Sub County which face frequent droughts, water shortage, degraded soils and crop failure often related to effects of climate change. NGOs work with farmer groups to address household food security in Yatta Sub County through a myriad of interventions. This study sought to identify types of interventions undertaken by NGOs, investigate the extent to which farmers’ participation in NGOs interventions affect household food security, as well as examine farmers’ perceptions of NGO interventions and their effect on household food security. Simultaneously, the study investigates the extent to which conditions exerted by funding agencies mediate the association between farmers’ participation and perception of NGOs interventions and household food security. The study was guided by Food Availability Decline Theory, Entitlement Approach, Participatory Approaches, Theory of Planned Behaviour and False-Paradigm model. The study employed a mixed method design that applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In this, 100 farmers’ groups with a membership base of 3, 341 farmers who had worked with NGOs for more than three years were selected from an overall list of registered farmer groups. Israel (1983) formulae to sample finite population were applied to select 357 farmers from these groups. Qualitative data was collected from 33 key informants, 6 focus group discussions and 2 case studies. Logistic regression model was utilized to test the significance between farmers’ participation in NGOs interventions and household food security as well as farmers’ perceptions of NGOs interventions and household food security. Causal mediation analysis examined the effect of a mediating variable M (conditions of funding agencies) on the relationship between X (farmers’ participation and farmers’ perceptions) and Y (household food security). Qualitative data was analyzed to establish patterns and trends. The study concludes that both farmers’ participation and perceptions of NGO interventions are predictors of household food security. Willingness of NGOs to involve farmers in needs identification, selection of interventions, monitoring, implementation, capacity development and power dynamics influenced farmers’ participation. Farmers’ perceptions were shaped by affordability of interventions, technologies applied, markets, labour requirement and envisioned success. Conditions exerted by funding agencies mediate the relationship between farmers’ participation and perceptions of NGO interventions and household food security. The study recommends that farmers participation process be restructured to become inclusive, standardized and accountable. Further, NGOs should undertake periodic customer satisfaction reviews to integrate farmers’ opinions, have clear exit strategies; re-define their household food security agenda and improve communication with farmers.