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Understanding poverty dynamics in Kenya

Author

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  • Patti Kristjanson

    (International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • Nelson Mango

    (International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • Anirudh Krishna

    (Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA)

  • Maren Radeny

    (International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya)

  • Nancy Johnson

    (International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya)

Abstract

Combining qualitative-quantitative approaches, we examined the reasons behind household movements into and out of poverty across Kenya, and how they differ by livelihood zones. Among the 4773 households studied, 42 per cent were poor 15 years ago and 50 per cent are poor at the present time. Over the same period, 12 per cent of the households escaped poverty, while another 20 per cent fell into poverty. While some national trends were evident - such as the role of health problems in driving people into poverty and the importance of off-farm income in getting them out - many reasons differ across livelihood zones, thus this paper provides an example of how regionally differentiated anti-poverty policies can be investigated and designed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Patti Kristjanson & Nelson Mango & Anirudh Krishna & Maren Radeny & Nancy Johnson, 2010. "Understanding poverty dynamics in Kenya," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(7), pages 978-996.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:22:y:2010:i:7:p:978-996
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.1598
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    2. Charles Onyutha, 2018. "African crop production trends are insufficient to guarantee food security in the sub-Saharan region by 2050 owing to persistent poverty," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(5), pages 1203-1219, October.
    3. Hammond, James & Fraval, Simon & van Etten, Jacob & Suchini, Jose Gabriel & Mercado, Leida & Pagella, Tim & Frelat, Romain & Lannerstad, Mats & Douxchamps, Sabine & Teufel, Nils & Valbuena, Diego & va, 2017. "The Rural Household Multi-Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) for rapid characterisation of households to inform climate smart agriculture interventions: Description and applications in East Africa and Central ," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 225-233.
    4. Sparrow, Ashley D. & Traoré, Adama, 2018. "Limits to the applicability of the innovation platform approach for agricultural development in West Africa: Socio-economic factors constrain stakeholder engagement and confidence," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 335-343.
    5. Harris, David & Orr, Alastair, 2014. "Is rainfed agriculture really a pathway from poverty?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 84-96.
    6. Radeny, Maren & van den Berg, Marrit & Schipper, Rob, 2012. "Rural Poverty Dynamics in Kenya: Structural Declines and Stochastic Escapes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1577-1593.
    7. N. L. Panwar & Surendra Kothari & S. C. Kaushik, 2014. "Cost-benefit and systems analysis of passively ventilated solar greenhouses for food production in arid and semi-arid regions," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 160-167, March.
    8. Carlos Pestana Barros & Otavio Henrique dos Santos Figueiredo & Peter Fernades Wanke, 2016. "Peasants’ Poverty and Inequality in Angola," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(2), pages 751-761, September.
    9. Rao, Elizaphan J.O. & Qaim, Matin, 2013. "Supermarkets and agricultural labor demand in Kenya: A gendered perspective," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 165-176.
    10. Robinson, Lance W. & Ericksen, Polly J. & Chesterman, Sabrina & Worden, Jeffrey S., 2015. "Sustainable intensification in drylands: What resilience and vulnerability can tell us," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 133-140.
    11. Okello, Julius J. & Lagerkvist, Carl Johan & Muoki-Kingori, Penina & Heck, Simon & Prain, Gordon, 2016. "Combining sensory evaluation and mental models in the assessment of consumer preferences for and choice of healthy products: Experience from a field experiment in Kenya," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 236244, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Birhanu, Mulugeta Y. & Ambaw, Birhanu & Mulu, Yohannis, 2017. "Dynamics of multidimensional child poverty and its triggers: Evidence from Ethiopia using Multilevel Mixed Effect Model," MPRA Paper 79377, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Banda, Diana J. & Hamukwala, Priscilla & Haggblade, Steven & Chapoto, Antony, 2011. "Dynamic Pathways into and out of Poverty: A Case of Small Holder Farmers in Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 113649, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    14. Vimefall, Elin, 2015. "Income diversification among female-headed farming households," Working Papers 2015:11, Örebro University, School of Business.
    15. Alary, Véronique & Corniaux, Christian & Gautier, Denis, 2011. "Livestock's Contribution to Poverty Alleviation: How to Measure It?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 1638-1648, September.
    16. R. S. Ritzema & R. Frelat & S. Douxchamps & S. Silvestri & M. C. Rufino & M. Herrero & K. E. Giller & S. López-Ridaura & N. Teufel & B. K. Paul & M. T. Wijk, 2017. "Is production intensification likely to make farm households food-adequate? A simple food availability analysis across smallholder farming systems from East and West Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(1), pages 115-131, February.
    17. Sangeetha Madhavan & Shelley Clark & Sara Schmidt, 2021. "Single mothers coping with food insecurity in a Nairobi slum," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(13), pages 2703-2720, October.
    18. Ahmed, M. & Gautam, M. & Sen, B., 2018. "Waves of Change: Understanding Ascent, Descent and Persistence of Poverty in Rural Bangladesh," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277340, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Anirudh Krishna, 2010. "Who became poor, who escaped poverty, and why? Developing and using a retrospective methodology in five countries," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 351-372.
    20. Ebunoluwa O. Ajagun & George Ashiagbor & Winston A. Asante & Benjamin A. Gyampoh & Kwasi A. Obirikorang & Emmanuel Acheampong, 2022. "Cocoa eats the food: expansion of cocoa into food croplands in the Juabeso District, Ghana," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 451-470, April.

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