Citation:

Ekiru Francis Anno, Vincent Kipngeno Cheruiyot, Samuel Ejore Etapar, Dorcas Lopua Nakeno, Lopem Ebenyo Claryson. "Investing in Agriculture for Long-Term Food, Income, and Nutrition Security: An Economic Analysis of Crop Production and Marketing in the Refugee and Hosting Community Settings in Turkana" International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 282-293, 2024.

Abstract:

The research study was conducted throughout the entirety of Turkana to evaluate the performance of the agriculture sub-sector, considering its scope, challenges, and opportunities. Three study objectives were formulated to direct the exploration of various aspects of the research topic, i.e., (i) to assess the state of food, income, and nutrition security in Turkana; (ii) to explore the enablers and inhibitors of field, horticultural, and cash crops in Turkana; and (iii) to identify strategies to increase agricultural performance and address the inherent production and marketing challenges. The study’s research design was exploratory, involving in-depth collection, analysis, and presentation of data through descriptive and qualitative techniques. The study engaged 40 resource persons holding expertise in agriculture, natural resources management, refugee livelihoods, agribusiness, community development, social protection, and policy. Respondents are working for national and county governments, UN agencies, NGOs, corporations, research institutions, and community-based organizations, including refugee-led organizations (RLOs) and farmers’ field schools. All were selected purposefully. Households focusing on either field, horticultural, and/or cash crops were categorized, forming strata from which study participants were randomly selected. A total sample of 126 people (48% female) were selected, and study questionnaires were administered. The study revealed a significant potential for agriculture in Turkana, where different crop categories can flourish with the implementation of appropriate strategies and investments. Despite this potential, Turkana faces numerous challenges that can hinder agricultural performance and marketing, thereby perpetuating the current food, income, and nutrition insecurity in the region. The study emphasizes agriculture’s role in bridging the widening gap in food security in Turkana and for the refugee population due to continuous ration cuts and diminishing donor funding. With better knowledge of how to grow different types of crops than the hosting community, as well as the right investments and an environment that makes it easy for them to grow and sell crops locally and across borders, refugees can transform the production landscape by strengthening market-oriented action. They can also contribute to making local communities resilient and self-reliant and help facilitate the diffusion of innovative solutions. The study identifies strategies, soil health management, further analysis of enablers and inhibitors of diverse crop varieties, market performance, and policy as areas for future research and development.

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Keywords:

Agriculture, Crops, Markets, Food security, Nutrition, Contract farming, Climate change, and Technology.