Indigenous hedges among small scale farmers: analysis of socio-cultural factors influencing technology in western Kenya

Abstract

This Thesis is an exploratory study aiming at characterizing and examining indigenous hedges, which is one of the indigenous agroforestry technologies most widespread on the internal and external boundaries of cropfields in Western Kenya but less intensively practised. The general aim of this study is to identify and assess socio-cultural factors determining underexploitation of hedges in terms of composition (current and future), uses, and establishment and management methods. Though this study focused on hedges on the internal and external boundaries on farms, it contextualized hedges within other agroforestry technologies and activities. In a nutshell, this study confirms all it's major hypotheses and reveal and discuss the major sociocultural factors influencing hedges and agroforestry technologies in general. This study also confirm the important role hedges play in a farmer's livelihood and rural development in general and also facilitate a better understanding of how best hedges can be improved in order to make them more socially viable, sustainable and beneficial to the small scale fanners and rural development in general without completely overhauling them. The survey whose findings are discussed in this Thesis was undertaken in Eastern part of Siaya District and the whole ofVihiga District both in Western Kenya in latel995. This area covering approximately 1575 km2 (Figure 1: Description of the study area - page 48) was purposively chosen to facilitate comparison between different ecological zones, and ethnic or culturalgroups. A multi-stage cluster sampling method using topographical maps (scale 1:500,000) was used to locate the farmers. First, the research area was divided into 63 squares of 25 km2each (43 and 20 squares in Siaya and Vihiga Districts respectively). A homestead closer to the centre of a square and a household in the selected homestead were randomly