Influence of Indigenous Knowledge on Household Food Security Status among the Smallholder Farmers in Kilifi South Sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Food security is critical to the economic, social, religious, political and cultural development Worldwide. It plays a great role in economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Kenya. A study was carried out in Kilifi South sub-county in the coastal areas of Kenya, one of the areas where food insecurity incidences are prevalent. The study assessed the effect of indigenous knowledge on food security status among smallholder farming communities through interview schedules. Non-experimental design using descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The results indicated that 80% of all the farmers were food insecure. Those who practiced indigenous knowledge were 20% food secure and 80% food insecure. The farmers who had planted fast-growing crops were 9% food secure while the ones who practiced traditional water conservation were 1% food secure and those who planted traditional seeds were 10% food secure. Farmers who practised integrated pest management were 11% food secure while those who planted drought-resistant crops were 9% food secure. There was a significant (P= .05) positive relationship between food security and practice of indigenous knowledge. This implies that indigenous knowledge was one of the most significant issues affecting food security in Kilifi South Sub-county. To further enhance the understanding and improvement of food security status in Kilifi South sub-county, indigenous knowledge is necessary. This will help households make long-term investments in new agricultural innovations hence improved food production and food security levels. The stakeholders should educate the farmers in the study area about the right seeds to plant to cope with climate change.