THE EFFECTS OF FARMERS GROUP PERFORMANCE ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN WESTERN KENYA

Abstract

Many developing countries have reintroduced farmer groups into their policy agenda due to their role in accelerating technical and economic change in rural areas. In Kenya, however, farmer groups remain inadequately structured and their performance in promoting food security is not well established. Farmers in western Kenya, particularly in Bungoma and Siaya counties, depend heavily on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood, yet food insecurity persists despite the presence of numerous farmer groups. Previous studies have largely focused on the typologies, structures, and developmental stages of farmer organizations but have paid limited attention to how their performance—under different organizational regimes such as farmer groups and associations—affects household food security. This study therefore investigated the influence of farmer group performance on household food security in western Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to: examine the effect of farmer group dynamics on food security; establish the effect of farmer group output on food security; and determine the influence of gender relations on farmer group performance. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 587 farmers from 33 farmer groups across Bungoma and Siaya counties, while simple random sampling was employed to identify 371 respondent households. Quantitative data were collected through household surveys, while qualitative data were gathered through document reviews, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of SPSS (IBM), while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results revealed a statistically significant relationship between farmer group performance and household food security (F = 10.081, p < 0.001). The R value of 0.228 indicated a positive influence of farmer group dynamics and output on food security. Farmer group output (β2 = 0.152, p = 0.004) had a relatively higher effect than group dynamics (β1 = 0.13, p = 0.015). The study also found that gender disparities persist, with women contributing the majority of farm labour yet being marginalized in decision-making processes. The study concludes that strengthening farmer group performance and promoting gender equality in agricultural decision-making are essential for enhancing household food security and improving rural livelihoods in western Kenya.