Livelihood and climate trade-offs in Kenyan peri-urban vegetable production
Open accessAbstract
Trade-offs between livelihood and environmental outcomes due to agricultural intensification in sub-Saharan Africa are uncertain. The present study measured yield, economic performance and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions in African indigenous vegetable (AIV) production to investigate the optimal nutrient management strategies. In order to achieve this, an on-farm experiment with four treatments – (1) 40 kg N/ha diammonium phosphate (DAP), (2) 10 t/ha cattle manure, (3) 20 kg N/ha DAP and 5 t/ha cattle manure and (4) a no-N input control – was performed for two seasons. Yields and N 2 O emissions were directly measured with subsampling and static chambers/gas chromatography, respectively. Economic outcomes were estimated from semi-structured interviews (N = 12). Trade-offs were quantified by calculating N 2 O emissions intensity (N 2 OI) and N 2 O emissions economic intensity (N 2 OEI). The results indicate that, DAP alone resulted at least 14% greater yields, gross margin and returns to labour in absolute terms but had the highest emissions (p = 0.003). Productivity-climate trade-offs, expressed as N 2 OI, were statistically similar for DAP and mixed treatments. However, N 2 OEI was minimized under mixed management (p = 0.0004) while maintaining productivity and gross margins. We therefore conclude that soil fertility management strategies that mix inorganic and organic source present a pathway to sustainable intensification in AIV production. Future studies of GHG emissions in crop production need to consider not only productivity but economic performance when considering trade-offs.
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In Kenya, using manure in indigenous vegetable farms generated lower gross output compared to using diammonium phosphate as fertiliser.
“In an example in Kenya, using manure in indigenous vegetable farms generated lower gross output compared to using diammonium phosphate as fertiliser (Kurgat et al. 2018).”
From The socio-economic performance of agroecology. A review (2024) · cites this paper as Kurgat et al. 2018
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The socio-economic performance of agroecology. A review
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“In an example in Kenya, using manure in indigenous vegetable farms generated lower gross output compared to using diammonium phosphate as ferti-liser (Kurgat et al. 2018).”
BackgroundMethod
- Authors
- Kurgat, B. K., Stöber, S., Mwonga, S., Lotze-Campen, H., & Rosenstock, T. S.
- Affiliations
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Egerton University (KE)
- Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (KE)
- Corresponding author
- Kurgat, Barnabas K.
- Venue
- Agricultural Systems
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-02
- Volume
- 160
- Pages
- 79-86
- ISSN
- 0308-521X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2767712666
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Agricultural Systems (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- RENATE (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Publication Database PIK (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- edoc Publication server (Humboldt University of Berlin)
- RENATE
- Funders
- Global Food Security programme (FKZ 031A248A)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Keywords
- African indigenous vegetables, peri-urban agriculture, nitrous oxide emissions, nutrient management, cattle manure, diammonium phosphate, soil fertility management, economic performance, gross margin, returns to labor, sustainable intensification, greenhouse gas intensity
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