Exploring determinants of climate resilience of smallholder farmers linked to school feeding programmes in Kenya

Abstract

School feeding programmes (SFPs) are gaining recognition as a mechanism for transforming food systems and enhancing farmers’ resilience to climate change. However, their relationship with resilience remains limited, and the interaction between SFP participation and socio-economic and institutional dynamics to shape resilience remains unexplored. This study draws upon cross-sectional data collected from 778 smallholder farmers linked to SFPs in Kajiado, Isiolo, and Nakuru counties. The study adopted the Resilience Index Measurement Analysis-II framework to develop the climate resilience capacity index (CRCI), and principal component analysis to construct resilience pillars. The multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) model and ordinary least squares regression (OLS) were employed to generate the CRCI and model its determinants, respectively. MIMIC results revealed a positive contribution of the access-to-basic-services (ABS) and adaptive-capacity (AC) pillars to CRCI. The asset ownership pillar played the opposite role, suggesting that traditional asset accumulation may be insufficient against current climate shocks. OLS results indicate that larger and female-headed households are negatively associated with CRCI. Households with savings, access to SFP markets, exposure to floods, and SFP-linked households in Kajiado and Isiolo counties are positively associated with CRCI. We recommend (a) policies and strategies aimed at enhancing resilience of SFP-linked farmers should emphasize on increasing ABS and AC, and shifting focus from accumulating assets that can be lost in shocks towards asset insurance and climate-smart asset accumulation; (b) schools applying SFPs should offer financial literacy or training on savings and on adoption of flood-smart technologies to SFP-linked farmers; and (c) policies should prioritize expanding and formalizing SFP procurement quotas for female farmers supplying their produce to SFPs. By integrating these insights, SFPs can be leveraged as instruments to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 1 (eradicate poverty), 2 (end hunger), and 13 (climate action), ultimately strengthening resilience.