Managing livelihood risks: Income diversification and the livelihood strategies of households in pastoral settlements in Isiolo County, Kenya

Gargule Andrew Achiba

doi:10.1186/s13570-018-0120-x

Abstract

Research in northern Kenya presents evidence that livestock herding remains the most important income activity for households in pastoral settlements, even though non-livestock income activities constitute a significant proportion of household income. This paper explores the socio-economic determinants of pastoral income diversification using rural household data collected from three pastoral settlement in Isiolo County, northern Kenya. This study is concerned with the patterns and determinants of participation in non-pastoral income-earning activities (NPIs), including emerging household strategies and their impact on pastoral livestock production with particular reference to household dependence on livestock income. The results show that the intensity and proportion of NPIs in household incomes are determined by household demographic factors and mobility status. This study concludes that the increase in NPIs that accompanies pastoral livestock production points to the growing importance of livelihood security derived from both managing pastoral livestock production risks and optimizing incentives for non-livestock livelihoods. This finding implies that NPIs are not a substitute for pastoral livelihood, at least not as the base livelihood, in the study area.

Highlights

Livelihood diversification and transition in rural Africa have been extensively studied in recent times (Barrett et al 2001a, b; Ellis 1998, 2000, 2005; Carswell 2002)
Prevalence and distribution of non-pastoral income-earning activities (NPIs) In order to assess household non-pastoral income activities, we examine the composition of household incomes for a definite period through “income recall” and compare them to gauge the proportional contribution of NPIs to the overall household income
In examining the outcomes of household income diversification for pastoralists in the study areas, we focused on the patterns and drivers of NPIs and their impact on household dependence on livestock income

Summary

Introduction

Livelihood diversification and transition in rural Africa have been extensively studied in recent times (Barrett et al 2001a, b; Ellis 1998, 2000, 2005; Carswell 2002). Some studies have focused on livelihood diversification in the context of planned government settlement programmes (Chimhowu and Hulme 2006) Within this burgeoning interest in livelihood diversification is a large body of research dealing with the livelihood diversification of pastoral livestock keepers in marginal environments, such as the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of East Africa (Ellis 2000; Davies 1993; Little et al 2001a, b; Barrett et al.2001a, b, McCabe 2003; McCabe et al 2014). The debates regarding livelihood changes in the East African ASALs through non-livestock income activities show a remarkable tendency to miscast pastoral income diversification as an exit from pastoralism (Little et al 2008)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion