Climate-Smart Farming Transforms Lives of Women Farmers in Kenya

Strategic Insights -

In the arid landscape of Mutomo, Kitui County, Avia Munyao's experience serves as a testament to how climate-smart farming can turn vulnerability into prosperity. A livestock farmer who watched helplessly as extreme weather patterns threatened to destroy her primary source of income, Avia transformed her approach to animal husbandry after receiving training in climate-smart livestock farming. She sold her indigenous goats and invested in Galla goats, which are highly tolerant to water and food scarcity, and have since reaped significant financial benefits.

Key Takeaways:

  • Avia Munyao, a livestock farmer in Mutomo, Kitui County, transformed her approach to animal husbandry after receiving training in climate-smart livestock farming.
  • She sold her indigenous goats and invested in Galla goats, which are highly tolerant to water and food scarcity, and have since reaped significant financial benefits.
  • According to a study, 53.4% of women in 10 identified hotspots across Kenya's agriculture, water, and energy sectors rely on agriculture for survival, while only 22.2% own land.
  • The government has outlined strategies to protect women farmers from climate-related devastation, including providing climate-adaptive technologies tailored to their specific needs and accessible information on climate adaptation.
  • Gender Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo emphasized the importance of the research in designing and implementing gender-responsive and gender-sensitive interventions.
  • The launch of a new thematic area under the National Gender Sector Working Group, focusing on gender, climate change, and disaster risk reduction, is a significant step towards supporting implementation mechanisms.

Statistics:

  • 53.4% of women in 10 identified hotspots across Kenya's agriculture, water, and energy sectors rely on agriculture for survival.
  • 22.2% of women in these regions own land.
  • Avia Munyao maintains a herd of 60 Galla goats and has already reaped the financial benefits of her strategic shift, with a six-month-old goat fetching Sh12,000.
  • 10 counties in Kenya have been identified as hotspots where women farmers bear the brunt of changing weather patterns.

Sources:

  • Nation, "Climate-smart farming transforms lives of women farmers in Kenya" (no date provided)
  • "Study mapping gender and climate change hotspot counties across Kenya's agriculture, water, and energy sectors" (no date provided)
  • Gender Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo, "Second bi-annual National Gender Sector Working Group meeting in Nairobi" (June 5, 2025)