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Seasonality and Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Kenya: Evidence from Mixed-Methods Research in Rural Lake Naivasha Basin

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  • Maria Sassi

    (Department of Economics and Management, University of Pavia, Via S. Felice 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of seasonality within the debate on nutrition-sensitive agriculture focusing on rural Lake Naivasha Basin in Kenya, which presents an interesting case study of the food system in East Africa. Seasonality shapes food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa, dominated by a rain-fed system; however, lack of monthly data hampers understanding. Using mixed methods, this study constructs a monthly dataset of a representative sample of households from February 2018 to January 2019. A fixed-effects analysis highlights the association between three pathways from agriculture to nutrition while controlling for the hunger and harvesting seasons by crop. Supported by qualitative information from focus groups, the results suggest that seasonality is an important dimension of the agriculture–nutrition link and promote understanding of the complexity of the pathways suggested by the literature, including the association between crops and dietary diversity, with relevant policy implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Sassi, 2019. "Seasonality and Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Kenya: Evidence from Mixed-Methods Research in Rural Lake Naivasha Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-19, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:22:p:6223-:d:284353
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    15. Maria Sassi, 2015. "Seasonality and Trends in Child Malnutrition: Time-Series Analysis of Health Clinic Data from the Dowa District of Malawi," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(12), pages 1667-1682, December.
    16. Ecker, Olivier, 2018. "Agricultural transformation and food and nutrition security in Ghana: Does farm production diversity (still) matter for household dietary diversity?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 271-282.
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    Cited by:

    1. Haruna Sekabira & Shamim Nalunga & Yves Didier Umwungerimwiza & Lydia Nazziwa & Stanley Peter Ddungu, 2021. "Household Farm Production Diversity and Micronutrient Intake: Where Are the Linkages? Panel Data Evidence from Uganda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, April.
    2. Maria Sassi, 2020. "A SEM Approach to the Direct and Indirect Links between WaSH Services and Access to Food in Countries in Protracted Crises: The Case of Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State, South Sudan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Haruna Sekabira & Shamim Nalunga, 2020. "Farm Production Diversity: Is It Important for Dietary Diversity? Panel Data Evidence from Uganda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    4. Sekabira, Haruna & Nalunga, Shamim & Umwungerimwiza, Yves Didier & Nazziwa, Lydia & Ddungu, Stanley Peter, 2021. "Household Farm Production Diversity and Micronutrient Intake: Where Are the Linkages? Panel Data Evidence from Uganda," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315013, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Maria Sassi & Gopal Trital & Poushali Bhattacharjee, 2022. "Beyond the Annual and Aggregate Measurement of Household Inequality: The Case Study of Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(1), pages 387-408, February.
    6. Junuthula, Shirisha & Kumari, Veenita & Srinivasan, Chittur, 2023. "Identification of Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) Knowledge Gaps in the Integration of Nutrition into Training by Agricultural Extension Advisory Services (EAS) Providers in India," 97th Annual Conference, March 27-29, 2023, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 334565, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    7. Maria Sassi & Gopal Trital, 2022. "A latent growth curve modelling approach to seasonal and spatial dynamics of food security heterogeneities in rural Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(1), pages 111-125, February.

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