Evaluating Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Livestock Value Chain Actors on Climate Smart Agriculture/Livestock (CSA/L) in Kajiado County, Kenya

Abstract

The livestock sector is a major contributor to food security and is mainly practiced by the rural poor but faces climate related threats. While there are many natural occurrences impacting the average global temperature and consequently livestock production, human activities in the sector continue to be a main contributing factor to climate change as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. However there has been little attention paid to integration of climate smart initiatives into livestock production and beyond into the value chains especially in ASALs where 80% of livestock production is found. A mixed method approach was used to evaluate KAP (knowledge, attitudes and practices) of the Livestock value chain actors (MSMEs). Linking Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) to MSMEs within the livestock sector value chains is imperative to producers’ engagements within the livestock value chain, reducing climate risks and increasing resilience. The study revealed that actors relate climate change to weather variability, extreme weather conditions and drought and CSA/Livestock as a concept is not well understood; there is a general knowledge of climate change albeit with low understanding on its relationship with livestock, and concern among the value chain actors on the impacts of climate change on productivity and the willingness to take part in actions aimed at protecting the environment and mitigating climate change. There is need to provide context-based CSA technologies, innovation, and management practices (TIMPs) tailored to pastoral livestock production and ASALs value chains, strengthening of peer-to-peer learning and improving extension services to increase awareness, trainings and enhance adoption of CSA since most actors interact with extension officers, and with each other along the chains.