Bamboo Production as an Alternative Crop and Livelihood Strategy for Tobacco Smallholder Farmers in South Nyanza, Kenya: Phase II

Abstract

In Kenya, tobacco is currently grown for commercial purposes in three major regions, namely; South Nyanza (Migori, Kuria and Homa-Bay districts), Western (Bungoma, Bumula, Malakisi, Sirisia, Busia, Teso and Mount Elgon districts), and Eastern (Meru, Embu and Kirinyaga districts). While the South Nyanza region has been dominating (80% production) in tobacco leaf production since 1970s to 2010, recent statistics obtained through the support of this project indicate that the companies have extensively expanded their production to Eastern and Western regions while reducing their production in South Nyanza. The long-term vision of this project executed for the period 2006-2013 is to turnaround the dependence of local livelihoods from tobacco farming to cultivation of alternative crops in Kenya. Phase I (2006-2008) of this research project attempted to go into considerable depth in its objectives to provide information useful for local enforcement of Articles 17 and 18 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) through the Kenya Tobacco Control Act, 2007. The research efforts and results obtained from Phase I led to some emerging issues or information gaps that required scientific investigation in Phase II (December 2009 to June 2013).