Impact of jatropha curcas (JC) on local food security in Kenya

Abstract

Jatropha curcas 1 has been introduced in Kenya with the hope that it will provide smallholders an additional income and boost rural development. Yet, high expectations were revised downwards and questions surged about potential negative impacts on food security. Initial research in 3 food insecure case study sites revealed that jatropha is currently not negatively affecting food security as it is only cultivated by food secure farmers who consider it as a venture crop. Nevertheless, as a matter of precaution jatropha should not be planted on plots and instead priority should be given to hedges or food crops in order to avoid negative impacts on food security. Background and objective Agriculture plays a key role for global sustainable development as it is a source for food, feed, fuel and fibre and provides a livelihood to about 2.6 billion people (von Braun 2005; WDR 2008; IAASTD 2009). Most of these women, men and children are living in the global South and are engaged in small-scale farming, which provides half of the total food production globally (IAASTD 2009). In the first half of the 21 st century, demand for agricultural produce is expected to grow by 70%, thereby increasing the pressure on already scarce natural resources (FAO 2009) and causing major concerns about food security. In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa this development takes place in an already food insecure context. Famines are endemic since the late 1960s in several parts of the continent, mostly caused by natural stressors and political crises (Devereux 2000). Kenya is classified by the FAO as being in a protracted crisis, which means that it is experiencing chronic food deficits, disruption of livelihoods over a prolonged time and the incapability of the state to respond to and mitigate threats to its population (FAO 2010). 1 Hereafter referred to as “jatropha“ Policymakers started promoting biofuels as a way to boost rural development and energy supply based on the expectation that smallholders could participate in the production either in out-grower schemes or as labourers on large-scale plantations. In sub-Saharan Africa much hope was drawn from the introduction of jatropha. However, competition between food and energy crops such as jatropha for land and water can have significant impacts on food security (HLPE 2011), the environment (Koh et al. 2011) and even lead to conflicts among resource users (Findlater and Kandlikar 2011). The objective of this paper is thus to assess the past and future impact of jatropha production on local food security. This was done by a qualitative evaluation of the food security situation and a characterisation of main food insecurity drivers in three case study sites in Kenya. Additionally, land use and land cover changes of the past 10 years were analysed and related to jatropha production as well as overall food security situation. Therewith, the paper discusses positive and negative impacts of jatropha production on local food security and identifies challenges and opportunities in order to guide land use planning, inform policy debate and support extension services facing the challenge of integrating biofuel production into existing farming systems Research Design and Methodology