| dc.description.abstract | Global good agricultural practices (GlobalGAP) have significant, yet contentious impacts on
different livelihood aspects of smallholder farmers. The GlobalGAP pose the threat of
eliminating smallholder farmers from accessing international markets due to the high costs of
implementation, maintenance and certification. But the practices associated with GlobalGAP
improve the health of farmers and create employment opportunities. The practices are therefore
useful in reducing poverty levels among smallholders and especially in rural areas. GlobalGAP
was introduced in Eastern and Central Kenya but its impacts, especially on poverty status in the
region, are unknown. The extent to which the modes of GlobalGAP compliance affect the
poverty status of the farmers involved in production and marketing of fresh export produce is
also unknown. This study was undertaken in order to fill this gap in knowledge. The objectives
were to compare the poverty status of smallholder horticultural farmers under different
compliance arrangements, and to determine the relative effect of GlobalGAP compliance on the
poverty status of smallholder horticultural farmers in Eastern and Central Kenya. The impacts
were classified into of four categories based on whether: (a) smallholder farming household
compliance status was continuous throughout the study period; (b) compliance was gained
during the study period; (c) the household lost compliance during the study period or (d) gained
and lost compliance during the study period. The study used a longitudinal research design
whereby panel data from three study areas in Eastern and Central Province (i.e. Buuri, Mbooni
and Kirinyaga) were collected during baseline and follow-up surveys done in 2009 and 2012.
The target population was 1,324 farmers from the baseline survey, out of which a sample size of
573 follow-up respondents was selected using a stratified method that mainly comprised
proportionate to population size. Interview schedules and questionnaires were employed in collecting the data. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t-tests were used to
establish poverty status of horticultural smallholders under different compliance arrangements.
Group compliant farmers had lower levels of poverty, though statistically insignificant compared
to non-compliant farmers. Since there were no significant differences in the mean poverty status
between GlobalGAP compliant farmers, it was concluded that the poverty status of smallholder
horticultural farmers was equal across all compliance arrangements. Comparison between
baseline and follow-up periods showed that only Mbooni recorded significant ((P≤0.05) poverty
reduction among the group contract farmers while Kirinyaga had significant (P≤0.01) poverty
reduction under individually fully compliant farmers. Impacts of GlobalGAP compliance relative
to the period of compliance uptake was estimated using the difference-in-differences method
(DD). The results showed that GlobalGAP compliance reduced poverty status of farmers who
had gained and maintained compliance in Buuri and Kirinyaga. Continuous GlobalGAP
compliance reduced poverty status in all study areas though only significant (P ≤0.10) in Buuri
and Mbooni. Short-term impacts of gaining compliance during the study period showed
reduction on poverty in all the study areas except Mbooni. Although households that gained
GlobalGAP compliance showed mixed changes on poverty status, these influences were not
significant. The assessment of farmer interaction with GlobalGAP compliance on poverty status
showed increased poverty in all the study areas except Mbooni but was not significant in any of
the study areas. The study recommended that policies that improve on consistent
implementation, certification and maintenance of GlobalGAP compliance should be formulated
in order to aid in alleviating poverty among fresh producer in Kenya. | en_US |
