The role of Global-GAP policy on smallholder French bean producers’ climate change perception in Central and Eastern regions of Kenya

Abstract

This paper presents findings of a study to examine smallholder French bean farmers’ perception of climate change and effect of Global-GAP policy on their perception in Central and Eastern regions of Kenya. A random sample of 616 households were interviewed in Kirinyaga (Central), Makueni and Meru (Eastern) counties leading to identification of 7 climate change perceptions. Using principal component analysis (PCA) to derive a few latent variables summarizing maximum variance in the perceptions, three components (latent variables) proxying for ‘droughts’, ‘delay in rainy seasons’, ‘diseases and pests’ and three proxying for ‘hot days’, ‘floods’, and ‘diseases and pests’ risk factors were extracted for Central and Eastern region respectively. The results show that common study area-wide climate change perception risk factor was incidence of diseases and pest. Using logit regression method to analyze factors influencing perceptions, the results found that Global-GAP policy positively and significantly influence perception on long term changes in temperature and rainfall. Climate change risk factors of droughts, diseases and pests, floods, and increase in number of hot days were found to influence farmers’ perception of long term changes in temperature and rainfall. Other socioeconomic factors found to influence perception of long term changes in temperature and rainfall were access to extension services, formal education and acreage under French bean production. The study concluded that farmers’ past experience with Global-GAP is a predictor of climate change attitudes. The policy implication of this study is that incorporating promotion of Global- GAP policy compliance in awareness creation strategies in a manner that considers local context and local farmers’ views can bring about progress in smallholder farm sector by resolving some of the climate change related constraints.