Government Agricultural Support Programs and Livelihood of Smallholder Vegetable Farmers in Kampala, District Uganda. (Published)
This article explores government agricultural support programs and livelihood of smallholder vegetable farmers in Kampala district Uganda. Climate variability is a reality and poses severe effects on societal economy. The agriculture sector in developing countries will be hard hit because it is mostly rain-fed. The poor in such countries will face the brunt of climate variability because they are poor and less able to cope with its effects. Government agricultural programs may help smallholder farmers cope with climate variability and thus protect livelihood. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and complimented by face- to- face interviews. In this paper, multiple linear regression was used to analyze the effect of government agricultural support programs and livelihood of smallholder vegetable farmers. The results showed that out of 201 farmers only 16 (8.0%) received government support and was received in form of subsidized credit, agricultural inputs, agriculture training, extension services and market support. Correlation analysis using Pearson Correlation Coefficient showed a significant positive and weak correlation (r =0.423, p=0.000) between government support programs and livelihood of farmers. Whereas multiple linear regression results revealed that government agricultural support programs (β2= -0.037 and p>0.05) did not have a significant effect on livelihood of smallholder vegetable farmers. Consequently, the paper recommends increasing accessibility and affordability of government programs. Secondly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and NAADS should provide provide agricultural support as a full package to farmers.
Keywords: Adaptation, Climate Variability, Livelihood, government support programs, smallholder’s farmers.
Rethinking Climate Change Communication in Kenya: A Philosophical Proposition (Published)
Conversations on climate change have existed across various historical times. Ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who is touted to be the earliest authentic scientists in history, made some valuable contributions in the understanding of climate and climate systems. However, it was his protégé, Theophrastus, who later on advanced scholarly arguments on the possibilities of climate dynamism. Nonetheless, climate change has only emerged as the most predominant theme of all discourses on environment in recent times. There has arguably been no single workshop or conference on environment in the last ten years that discussions and presentations on climate change have featured. The scenario in Kenya depicts a population familiar with the term climate change yet it is far from understanding the phenomenon. An argumentative dilemma regarding the basis of climate change communication in Kenya is therefore unavoidable. This paper therefore undertakes to interrogate the philosophical propositions that underpin climate change communication with a view of reinvigorating the conceptualization and execution of climate change communication in Kenya. Apparently, their indigenous knowledge perspectives of climate, the basic education curriculum, and the media communication channels inform the Kenyan population’s understanding of climate change. These imperatives cannot hence be avoided when it comes to interrogating climate change communication in the country. It is therefore imperative to reengineer the way climate change knowledge is managed and disseminated; if at all, this knowledge is to enhance Kenyans’ understanding of the climate change phenomenon.
Keywords: Climate Change Communication, Climate Change Phenomenon, Climate Variability