Protection and Rehabilitation of Degraded Soils in Western Kenya: Experiences from Two Decades of Research and Development

Abstract

Over exploitation of soils in Western Kenya has resulted in nutrient depletion and soil erosion leading to low and inadequate food supply and incomes on many smallholder farms. This has been further exacerbated by climate change effects including unpredictable periods of drought and variable rainfall which is less frequent, reduced amounts but more in intensity. Best practices for sustainable land use are well known to farmers and are economically viable. Despite this, they are applied only to a limited extent. Disseminating these practices has been challenging, and quite often, soil protection does not receive the socio-political attention it requires. The responsible institutions often fail to tackle the issue effectively. As a result, farmers lack incentives, such as secure land rights for agricultural enterprises, to ensure that they utilize soil resources in a sustainable way. Smallholder farmers, who are the major agricultural producers, have inadequate know-how to apply soil-friendly farming methods on their farms, or the money for initial investments. This book chapter describes approaches that are being applied, assessed and promoted by the GIZ supported “ProSoil” in Western Kenya to explore the extent of soil degradation for sustainable soil protection and rehabilitation to provide a useful knowledge base to support decision makers in developing adoption strategies for sustainable crop production.