Crop diversification as a smallholder livelihood strategy within semi-arid agricultural systems near Mount Kenya

摘要: Crop diversification is one strategy that smallholder farmers may employ to reduce their vulnerability in the face of global environmental change. Diversification not only expands number potential crop types for market, it also improves agroecosystem functioning by building redundancy into agricultural system and allowing innovation areas exhibiting impacts climate variability. While driving forces behind have been extensively investigated, there are particular issues prospects household within semi-arid systems. The decision diversify crops a particularly challenging Semi-arid systems can exhibit greater variability annual precipitation marginal production. Changes timing growing season (onset rains) mid-season dry periods pose significant challenges ecosystems. This paper examines spatial across an upland-lowland gradient on Mount Kenya's northwestern slopes. We perform regression analyses using household-level survey data collected during summer 2012 investigate factors contributing varying levels implications production irrigated system. hypothesize study area locations at higher elevations will be able grow variety due suitability. Our analysis demonstrates income, field size, exposure extension officers, suitability conditions related likelihood diversification. More favorable appear outweigh limitations posed inaccessibility financial constraints, which has adaptation change discuss results context